The trial of Kim Dae-ki, former chief of staff to President Yoon Suk Yeol, and others accused of directing illegal budget reallocations during the relocation of the presidential residence has commenced.
The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 36, led by Judge Lee Jeong-yeop, held the first preparatory hearing on July 2 for Kim and co-defendants Lee Sang-min, former Minister of the Interior and Safety, Yoon Jae-soon, former chief secretary, and Kim O-jin, former management secretary. A bail hearing for Kim was also conducted.
Preparatory hearings are held to organize the positions of the prosecution and defense and discuss evidence plans before the formal trial. Defendants are not required to attend.
Only Kim appeared in court for the bail hearing, while the other defendants were absent. Kim was arrested in May due to this case.
Kim's attorney argued that there is no risk of flight or evidence tampering, and cited Kim's recent surgery for a brain hemorrhage as a reason to allow him to defend himself while released.
The second special prosecutor's team, led by Kwon Chang-young, countered, stating, "Based on the evidence submitted by the defense, we disagree with all witness testimonies," and questioned whether there had been any significant changes in circumstances to warrant bail given that the defendants do not admit to the charges.
They also expressed concerns about the potential for evidence tampering and requested that the court maintain Kim's detention due to his status and influence.
In his remarks, Kim Dae-ki stated, "I may not know the law well, but having lived a long life and seen many cases, I question whether this matter warrants personal detention. The special prosecutor claims there is a risk of evidence tampering, but the Yoon administration has collapsed and holds no influence anywhere." He added that he has had no contact with any individuals involved in the case.
After hearing both sides, the court indicated it would review the records before deciding on the bail request.
Considering that the arguments regarding evidence have not yet been fully organized, the court scheduled another preparatory hearing for July 15. The first trial date is set for July 22, with a verdict expected by late November.
The court noted that a key issue in the case is determining who was responsible for managing the property after the former Ministry of Foreign Affairs residence was converted into the presidential residence, which could affect the legality of the budget execution by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the establishment of abuse of power.
The court added that this matter should be resolved through legal interpretation rather than witness testimony.
Kim and his co-defendants are accused of directing the illegal reallocation and execution of 2.09 billion won from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's budget, unrelated to the presidential residence, to pay an unqualified contractor, 21 Gram, during the relocation project in 2022. They also face charges of falsifying and using official documents.
At the time, the budget allocated for interior work was 1.44 billion won, but 21 Gram submitted an estimate of approximately 4.12 billion won for the work. Investigations revealed that the presidential office proceeded with the project without any verification or adjustments, despite the costs being three times higher than initially planned.
The special prosecutor's office believes that the Yoon administration pressured the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to illegally execute the budget to cover the increased project costs, leading to the indictment of these four individuals last month.
This case marks the first indictment since the special prosecutor's office was established on February 25.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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