The appeals court ruling on allegations including Kim Keon-hee's acceptance of valuables from the Unification Church will come on the 28th of next month. Kim was sentenced in the first trial to one year and eight months in prison.
The Criminal Division 15-2 of the Seoul High Court (High Court Judges Shin Jong-o, Seong Eon-ju, and Won Ik-seon) on the 11th held a preparatory hearing for the appeal of Kim, who was indicted on charges of brokerage bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, violations of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act, and violations of the Political Funds Act, and announced this schedule.
At the preparatory hearing, both sides' positions and plans of proof were organized. A preparatory hearing is a procedure to confirm the parties' positions and discuss plans of proof before the substantive trial. Unlike a formal court hearing, the defendant is not required to appear, so Kim did not come to court.
The special counsel team investigating Kim Keon-hee submitted as additional evidence the first-trial judgment and trial transcripts of Jeon Seong-bae. To prove the conspiracy in the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case, it also called an employee of the Korea Exchange (KRX), a person surnamed Park, as a witness.
The special counsel also requested the defendant examination of Kim. In response, Kim's side said that if the examination takes place, Kim will exercise the right to remain silent to all questions.
The court also asked the special counsel to supplement the indictment. It sought a clearer specification of the start date of the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation and the statute-of-limitations reference date as viewed by the special counsel. It also asked for a more specific explanation of the indictment concerning the alleged violation of the Political Funds Act for receiving a free public opinion poll from a person surnamed Myeong Tae-gyun.
In response, the special counsel said, "We will explain the indictment in detail along with the grounds for appeal at the first hearing."
The court scheduled two court hearing dates for the 25th of this month and the 8th of next month, with the ruling set for the 28th of next month. However, it left open the possibility of additional hearings depending on how the proceedings unfold.
Kim is accused of participating in Deutsch Motors stock manipulation from October 2010 to December 2012 and obtaining 810 million won in unjust gains. Kim is also accused of conspiring with former President Yoon Suk-yeol to receive public opinion poll results worth 270 million won on 58 occasions from a person surnamed Myeong, and of conspiring with Jeon Seong-bae in 2022 to receive valuables worth 80 million won, including a Chanel bag, from the Unification Church.
Earlier, in the first trial, the court found Kim guilty only on part of the brokerage bribery charge among the three charges and sentenced Kim to one year and eight months in prison and ordered the forfeiture of 12.81 million won.