Former President Yoon Suk-yeol's wife, Kim Keon-hee, was fined by the court after failing to appear as a witness in the case involving Ahn Hae-uk, former head of the Korea Elementary School Taekwondo Association, who raised the so-called "Julie allegations." The court found it hard to view the reason for nonappearance as justifiable.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement Division 34 (presiding judge Han Seong-jin, senior judge) on the 21st imposed fines of 3 million won on Ms. Kim at a continued hearing in the case against the former chair on charges including violations of the Public Official Election Act. The court decided to summon Ms. Kim again as a witness on May 20.
Ms. Kim's side submitted a reason for nonappearance to the court, but it was not accepted. The Criminal Procedure Act provides that a witness who has received a subpoena and does not appear without justifiable reason may be fined up to 5 million won.
Ahn was brought to trial on charges of saying, ahead of the 2022 presidential election, that he had seen Ms. Kim working at an entertainment bar in the past. Jeong Cheon-su, former head of the YouTube channel Open Sympathy TV, which reported the remarks in an interview format, is also on trial.
Prosecutors indicted Ahn and the other defendants, saying they announced false information to defeat then-presidential candidate Yoon Suk-yeol. In this hearing, the examination of Ms. Kim as a witness had been scheduled, but her nonappearance delayed the proceedings.