The first full trial for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, indicted on charges of announcing false information during his presidential candidacy, will be held this week. The appeals trial for first lady Kim Keon-hee, implicated in the Unification Church bribery and the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation case, will also begin.
According to legal sources on the 22nd, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 21 (presiding judge Cho Soon-pyo) will hold the first hearing on the 23rd in the case against the former president on charges of violating the Public Official Election Act.
The former president is accused of announcing false information about Geonjin, Jeon Seong-bae, in a media interview during his time as the People Power Party's presidential candidate.
In a Jan. 17, 2022, interview, the former president said to the effect that "I was introduced to Jeon, but I have never met him together with my wife," but special counsel Min Joong-ki's team determined the remark was not true.
There is also an allegation that at a Kwanhun Club invitational debate on Dec. 14, 2021, he falsely said that during his time in 2012 as chief of the First Investigation Division at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's Central Investigation Department, he had not introduced a lawyer to Yoon Woo-jin, former Yongsan Tax Office chief and the older brother of a junior prosecutor.
The special counsel team believes that, in reality, the former president introduced a lawyer from the Central Investigation Department to the former chief but, fearing a drop in approval ratings, made a statement that was not factual.
The appeal of first lady Kim Keon-hee, who was sentenced to prison in the first trial on charges including receiving valuables from the Unification Church, will also move into full swing.
The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 15-2 (high court judges Shin Jong-oh, Sung Eon-joo and Won Ik-seon) will hold the first court hearing on the 25th in the appeal of Kim, who was indicted on charges of brokered bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, and violations of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act and the Political Funds Act.
In the first trial, the court found her guilty only in part on one of three main charges—the allegation of brokered bribery for receiving expensive goods along with a request to support the denomination from the Unification Church side—and sentenced her to 1 year and 8 months in prison.
She was found not guilty on the charges of receiving a free public opinion survey from Myung Tae-gyun (violation of the Political Funds Act) and the Deutsch Motors stock manipulation charge (violation of the Financial Investment Services and Capital Markets Act).
The first hearing in the appeal of former senior prosecutor Kim Sang-min, who was indicted on charges including giving an expensive painting to Kim in return for candidate nomination favors, will also open on the 27th under the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 6-2 (high court judges Park Jeong-je, Min Dal-gi and Kim Jong-woo).
Earlier, the first trial found only the violation of the Political Funds Act among several charges to be guilty and sentenced him to 6 months in prison, suspended for 1 year, and ordered the forfeiture of a little over 41 million won.
Also, on the 26th, the first-trial verdict will be handed down for North Gyeongsang Provincial Council member Park Chang-uk, who was indicted on charges of asking Geonjin, Jeon, for People Power Party nominations ahead of the June 1, 2022, local elections. Earlier, in closing arguments before the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Division 33 (presiding judge Lee Jin-gwan), the special counsel sought a 4-year prison sentence.
ADOR, the agency for the girl group NewJeans, is also launching a damages suit of about 43 billion won against member Danielle, whose contract it terminated, her family, and former CEO Min Hee-jin (now CEO of ooak Records).
The Seoul Central District Court's Civil Division 31 (presiding judge Nam In-soo) will hold the first preparatory hearing at 10 a.m. on the 26th in ADOR's damages suit against Danielle's side and the former CEO.
ADOR, a label under HYBE that has been embroiled in an exclusive-contract dispute with NewJeans members, filed a termination of Danielle's exclusive contract and a damages suit in December last year.
ADOR says it will hold Danielle's side and the former CEO legally responsible for NewJeans' departure and the delay in their return.