'Produce' Ranking Manipulation Trial Delayed Again... Prosecution Launches Reinvestigation of Season 2

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The trial over the vote manipulation allegations in the idol audition program 'Produce 101' series on the cable channel Mnet has been delayed once again.

According to the legal community on the 22nd, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 21 (Presiding Judge Miri Kim) postponed the 4th hearing scheduled for that day for PD Junyoung Ahn and CP Yongbeom Kim, who were indicted on charges including obstruction of business and fraud, to the 27th.

This is the second postponement this month. The 4th hearing was originally scheduled for the afternoon of the 10th but was postponed to the 22nd, and now delayed again.

The court's decision to postpone this hearing is analyzed to be due to the trial schedule of Jo Kwon (53), the younger brother of former Minister of Justice Cho Kuk.

The court initially planned to hold the final hearing on the 20th for Jo, who was detained and indicted on charges including violation of the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Economic Crimes (breach of trust), but postponed it to the afternoon because Jo's side was unable to prepare a brief of arguments.

At that time, the court stated, "The defendant's detention period is about to expire, so there is no time. The verdict must be delivered by May 12 at the latest," explaining the urgency of concluding Jo's case.

Accordingly, the court appears to have postponed the Produce 101 case trial scheduled for that afternoon and decided to proceed with Jo's final hearing during that time.

Meanwhile, the prosecution has launched a reinvestigation into Season 2 of the Produce 101 series.

Following the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office's order for reinvestigation, the 9th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Dongwan Ahn) is examining evidence of manipulation in the online voting results of the final episode of Season 2.

The trial currently underway in court concerns allegations of manipulating paid text message voting results in Seasons 3 and 4.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.