According to the legal community on the 30th, the Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Division 27, chaired by Presiding Judge Woo In-sung, decided the previous day to extend Han’s suspension of detention.
A suspension of detention allows a defendant to be temporarily released when the court finds an urgent reason such as serious illness, childbirth or attending a family funeral. The decision takes effect immediately and, unlike bail, does not require posting a bond.
Han’s suspension had been set to expire at 2 p.m. today. Her lawyers filed a request on the 28th, citing a deterioration in her health and the need for hospital treatment.
The court granted the request, extending the suspension until 2 p.m. on May 30. The court also restricted her residence during that period to a hospital.
This is not the first time the court has granted Han a suspension of detention. Her side sought it three times — in November last year and in February and March this year — and the court approved each request, citing her advanced age and health issues.
The decisions have drawn criticism from some civic groups. Han was jailed at the Seoul Detention Center in September last year but met with her lawyers 441 times as of March 31, sparking controversy. It was also reported that other detainees and attorneys faced inconvenience in arranging visits, though the Justice Ministry’s corrections headquarters said it was not preferential treatment.
Some have also questioned whether Han’s recent stay in a hospital, rather than a detention facility, reflects sensitivity to the earlier controversy.
Han, along with Yoon Young-ho, former head of the Unification Church’s World Headquarters, and others, was indicted and detained in October last year on allegations including that they learned gambling-related police investigation information from People Power Party lawmaker Kwon Seong-dong in October 2022 and destroyed related evidence.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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