The court postponed the additional arrest warrant hearing for former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun to the 25th. It also deferred a decision on Kim's application to disqualify the trial court handling the warrant hearing. The additional warrant was requested by the special prosecutor for insurrection, applying charges of obstruction of official duties and instigation of evidence destruction against the former minister.
The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 34 (presided over by Director General Han Seong-jin) held a hearing on the arrest warrant for the former minister on the afternoon of the 23rd. The court stated, "Considering various circumstances, we will postpone the hearing until 10 a.m. on the 25th."
Earlier, the former minister filed a disqualification application against the Central District Court's Criminal Division 34 that morning. In response, the court said, "We will temporarily defer the disqualification application of (the former minister) and think about it further," adding, "The (arrest warrant) hearing procedure will not be immediately suspended based on the disqualification application."
The former minister is undergoing a first trial while in custody on charges of major involvement in insurrection. The detention period expires on the 26th. The special prosecutor for insurrection additional charged the former minister with obstruction of official duties and instigation of evidence destruction on the 18th.
In court that day, the former minister's attorney said, "The special prosecutor (Cho Eun-seok) unexpectedly added additional charges claiming that the former minister should remain in custody as the detention period was approaching, despite the indictment not being delivered to (the former minister and the attorney) before the (court) opened the hearing for the arrest warrant." The attorney continued, "It is questionable whether a fair trial can be expected, and I submitted (a disqualification application against the court) to protect constitutional rights."
The attorney further stated, "To hold the arrest warrant hearing again on the 25th, just before the expiry of custody (on the 26th), is tantamount to signaling that the warrant will be issued," and requested, "Please change the hearing date." However, the court did not accept this request.
The attorney also remarked, "The additional charges by the (special prosecutor for insurrection) were made on the 18th, and if the appointment of the special prosecutor's assistant occurred afterward, the additional indictment itself is illegal," adding, "It is questionable whether the special prosecutor's assistant is qualified to be involved in the prosecution." The assistant was appointed on the 20th.