The side of Jeong Jin-sang, the former Deputy Minister of the Democratic Party of Korea who is undergoing trial regarding the 'Daejang-dong, Baekhyeon-dong, Wirye-dong, and Seongnam FC incident,' requested to halt the trial, arguing that it is inappropriate to proceed without President Lee Jae-myung. Previously, the court had temporarily postponed the trial regarding President Lee based on Article 84 of the Constitution, which stipulates immunity for the president.
The 33rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Director General Lee Jin-gwan, opened a hearing on the 15th regarding the allegations of bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes against former Deputy Minister Jeong related to the Daejang-dong, Baekhyeon-dong, Wirye development corruption allegations and the Seongnam FC scandal.
The hearing on this day was the first since President Lee Jae-myung and former Deputy Minister Jeong attended together on April 29. However, the court decided on the 10th of last month to schedule President Lee's trial for a later date, citing Article 84 of the Constitution, which states, 'The president shall not be subject to criminal prosecution during their tenure, except in cases of insurrection or treason.' Accordingly, the trial that day proceeded only with the case against former Deputy Minister Jeong.
In response, former Deputy Minister Jeong's attorney stated, "Is it truly in line with the spirit of the Constitution to continue the trial solely for former Deputy Minister Jeong, who is in a co-offending relationship with President Lee, and is there no issue regarding the discovery of substantive truth related to the structure of the charges?"
The attorney noted, "Most of the charges are directly linked to the public authority held by President Lee during his tenure as the mayor of Seongnam and the governor of Gyeonggi Province, and former Deputy Minister Jeong played a supporting role. Therefore, it cannot be separated from President Lee's involvement based on the charges. Then, the trial of former Deputy Minister Jeong should also be halted," requesting the court to consider this matter.
The prosecution rebutted, stating, "There are no legal grounds or specific reasons for halting the trial for Jeong Jin-sang. Even without mentioning Article 84 of the Constitution, there are various reasons under which a co-defendant's trial can be paused, but that does not mean the trial will be suspended."
The prosecution also emphasized, "This trial assesses whether Jeong Jin-sang had a reporting, directing, or approving relationship with the private developers in Daejang-dong and there should be no issue in judging his collusion or involvement as a superior officer," adding, "Our fundamental position is that there is no obstacle in proceeding with the trial of defendant Jeong Jin-sang due to circumstances involving co-defendant President Lee."
The court indicated, "I initially inquired to hear your opinions, but the court has agreed to proceed with the trial for Jeong Jin-sang, so I will consider the points you have raised."
The two sides also expressed differing opinions regarding future trial schedules. When the court said, "I wish to proceed with the trial every Tuesday and every other Friday. It seems to have been conducted that way before I arrived," the attorney for former Deputy Minister Jeong replied, "Since our representation has been reduced by more than half, to keep up with witness interrogations, I would like the trial to be held at least once every two weeks."
In response, the prosecution pointed out, "Aside from the fact that one defendant was elected president, which resulted in the trial being paused, there are no other changes. Delayed justice is not justice. It is hard to accept that the trial should proceed more slowly than before."
The court decided to hold another hearing on the 22nd and to schedule additional dates for the trial after the court recess.
On the same day, the court announced its intention to impose sanctions, including fines, regarding former Deputy Minister Jeong's violation of the bail condition of 'returning home by midnight' on two occasions last month.
In response, former Deputy Minister Jeong stated, "All I can say is that I apologize for the violations," while also asking for consideration to adjust the time.