The first pre-trial hearing for former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, who was additionally indicted by the Special Prosecutor for Insurrection, ended 20 minutes after it began due to objections from the defense team.
The Criminal Division 34 of the Seoul Central District Court (Director General Han Seong-jin) held the first pre-trial hearing for former Minister Kim, who was additionally indicted on charges of obstructing public duties by deceit and tampering with evidence, on the morning of the 17th at 10 a.m. Former Minister Kim did not appear in court that day.
On that day, the court asked Kim's attorney about the desire for a jury trial. The attorney responded, "Before mentioning such things, we claim that the warrant for former Minister Kim was illegally issued, and he is in an unlawful detention state. We are discussing how we might secure a fair trial."
In response, the court requested clarification of their position once again. However, the attorney remarked, "I have a fundamental question about whether this organization can conduct a fair trial." and requested the court's recusal.
The attorney said, "We are considering whether the court could recuse itself in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Act so that another court can conduct the trial. We cannot expect a fair trial from a court that issued an illegal warrant."
The court subsequently requested the defense team to cooperate in progressing the trial. However, objections from the defense team continued, and eventually, the trial concluded around 10:20 a.m. The court scheduled the next pre-trial hearing for August 11.
Earlier, the Special Prosecutor for Insurrection additionally indicted former Minister Kim on charges of obstructing public duties by deceit and tampering with evidence on June 18, just before the expiration of the first detention period for his serious insurrection-related duties. The court requested an additional arrest warrant for him. On the 25th, the court issued an additional arrest warrant for former Minister Kim.
Former Minister Kim faces charges of obstructing public duties by deceit and tampering with evidence. The Special Prosecutor reports that on December 2 of last year, Kim deceived the Presidential Security Service to receive a secure phone, which he then conveyed to his co-conspirator in the insurrection, civilian former Defense Intelligence Command Chief Noh Sang-won. Additionally, Kim is accused of instructing his secretary, a civilian surnamed Yang, to dispose of all documents related to martial law after the state of emergency on December 5 of last year.