The main trial of the defendants in the Jeju ‘ㅎㄱㅎ’ incident, who are accused of violating the National Security Act, was held for the first time on the 29th, nine months after they were indicted. However, the trial on this day was halted 25 minutes after it began.
Jeju District Court Building.
On this day, the defendants appeared in court for the first time in nine months after being indicted in the trial of the ‘ㅎㄱㅎ’ case, which was held at the Jeju District Court Criminal Division 2 (Presiding Judge Jin Jae-kyung). So far, four preparation dates have been held to organize trial issues and evidence, but there has been no obligation for the defendant to appear.
As soon as the trial began, the defendants engaged in a war of nerves with the court. When the court interrogated the defendants, asking about their names and occupations, all three defendants refused to give statements. In particular, when the court asked the defendant to take off his mask and stand up to confirm his identity as a person suffering from cancer, the defense lawyer said, “(The defendant) is a patient. He also said, “The judge should come and personally check my ID.” In the end, the prosecution confirmed the identities of the defendants.
Afterwards, the scuffle continued. When the court did not accept the defendants’ request to change the trial record, the defense attorney continued to file objections. When the court refused again, the defendants and their lawyers voluntarily left the room. It had been 25 minutes since the trial began.
Previously, the defendants in the ‘ㅎㄱㅎ’ case applied for a citizen participation trial with ordinary citizens as jurors on April 24 last year, but when it was rejected, they repeatedly appealed and re-appealed, delaying the trial. This trial cannot be held until a conclusion is reached on this application. Since the Supreme Court made its final decision to dismiss on November 20th of last year, no formal trial to determine guilt or innocence has been held so far. Even after the Supreme Court decision was issued, the first trial was held two months later.
In December 2022, the National Intelligence Service is seizing and searching the home of Park, chairman of the Jeju Provincial Party of the Progressive Party, located in Nohyeong-dong, Jeju City. /News 1
The defendants who had been arrested in the meantime were all released by the court’s ex officio bail decision on September 19 of last year. When the defendants who were granted bail said, ‘I do not want to wear an electronic bracelet as a condition of bail,’ the court exempted them from this. Also, in November of last year, when one of the defendants said, ‘I will go on a honeymoon,’ the court temporarily lifted the residence restrictions. The presiding judge in this case, Jin Jae-kyung (36th Judicial Research and Training Institute), is said to be a member of the International Human Rights Law Research Association, a group of progressive judges.
On April 5 last year, the prosecution indicted without detention the leader of ‘Hahaha’, surnamed Kang (54), who was said to be suffering from cancer, and detained and indicted gang members surnamed Ko (54) and Mr. Park (49). They are accused of meeting North Korean agents in Cambodia in July 2017, returning to Korea under orders, and then forming ‘Haha’ in September 2022 and engaging in anti-government activities.
2024-01-29 08:27:00
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