The trial of Choo Kyung-ho, a People Power Party lawmaker accused of obstructing the vote to lift martial law, begins on the 24th.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement Division 34 (Presiding Judge Han Sung-jin) is set to hold the first preparatory hearing this afternoon for Rep. Choo, who was indicted on charges of engaging in important duties related to insurrection, to confirm the positions of the prosecution and the defendant.
Earlier, the special counsel investigating the insurrection case (Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk) indicted Rep. Choo without detention on the 7th on charges of engaging in important duties related to insurrection.
On Dec. 4 last year, Rep. Choo, then the floor leader, is suspected of delaying lawmakers' attendance at the plenary session by repeatedly changing the location of the party caucus at the request of former President Yoon Suk-yeol's side during the vote on the resolution to lift martial law.
The special counsel views that, despite knowing the situation in which martial law troops were storming the National Assembly, he obstructed participation in the vote by issuing a party assembly notice that was incompatible with the calls by former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik to gather in the plenary chamber.
The special counsel team said, "Although he was the only person who, as the ruling party's floor leader at the time, could have promptly broken Yoon Suk-yeol's intent to maintain martial law, he received a request for cooperation from the former president and, even after witnessing a situation in which the people's basic rights were being infringed and the National Assembly was being trampled by armed soldiers, took no action."
Earlier, the court dismissed the special counsel's request for an arrest warrant, finding that "there is room for dispute over the charges and the law." In response, the special counsel team has stated it will seek swift prosecution without detention to draw appropriate punishment.
Today's preparatory hearing is a procedure to organize the schedule for future proceedings, and Rep. Choo is not obligated to appear in person.