In a trial concerning allegations of disseminating false information during the 20th presidential election, former President Yoon Suk Yeol's witness, former tax office chief Yoon Woo-jin, failed to appear. As a result, the court imposed a fine on Yoon Woo-jin and issued an arrest warrant.
On May 11, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 21, presided over by Judge Cho Soon-pyo, fined Yoon Woo-jin 3 million won for his absence from the trial related to the violation of the Public Election Act. The court noted that Yoon Woo-jin submitted a notice of absence citing panic disorder and lung disease.
In response, the special prosecutor's team, led by Min Jung-ki, expressed their intention to execute the arrest warrant for Yoon Woo-jin, which the court accepted. The next hearing is scheduled for June 8, and the court decided to conclude arguments and deliver a ruling on July 10 at 2 p.m., regardless of Yoon Woo-jin's attendance.
During the court proceedings, there was a heated debate regarding the special prosecutor's investigation procedures.
The defense for Yoon Suk Yeol argued that the special prosecutor filed charges without investigating key witnesses, including attorney Lee Nam-seok and Yoon Woo-jin, claiming it was a politically motivated indictment.
Specifically, Yoon Suk Yeol stated, "It is common sense to investigate witnesses before calling in suspects. They seem to have aimed to sensationalize the issue by indicting without any investigation. If they had questioned this attorney, they could not have possibly filed charges against me." Yoon's attorney also added that the indictment was politically motivated, considering the context of a specific party's election funding return.
In response, the special prosecutor's team countered that delays in summoning the defendant until December made the timeline very tight, stating, "The submission of supplementary evidence occurred after the indictment due to the delay in investigating key defendants."
Additionally, Yoon Suk Yeol firmly denied allegations of disseminating false information regarding the presence of Jeon Seong-bae, a shaman, and First Lady Kim Geon-hee. He claimed, "I understand Jeon to be a Buddhist, not a shaman. Meeting a Buddhist during the election should not be an issue, as it was merely a response to attempts to separate a leading candidate from the religious community."
Conversely, the special prosecutor's team presented media reports, asserting that there was clear evidence and testimonies indicating that Jeon and Kim had met in a three-person gathering, accusing the defendant of spreading false information to deny the connection with his spouse.
Furthermore, the special prosecutor's team submitted a text message from 2012 in which attorney Lee Nam-seok stated, "I texted after hearing from Yoon Suk Yeol," to pressure the former president. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court requested additional relevant press materials from both parties.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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