Jeong Gyeong-sim Detention Extension Court Battle... "Fear of Evidence Destruction" vs "Realization of Defense Rights"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] On the 29th, the prosecution and the defense engaged in a courtroom battle over whether to extend the detention period of Professor Jeong Gyeong-sim of Dongyang University.

The Criminal Division 25-2 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Lim Jeong-yeop) held a hearing in the afternoon to decide whether to issue an additional detention warrant for Professor Jeong.

Professor Jeong was detained and indicted on November 11 last year on charges including her children's admission fraud and illegal investment in private equity funds. The maximum six-month detention period for the first trial will expire at midnight on the 10th of next month.

The prosecution submitted a written opinion to the court the day before, requesting the issuance of an additional detention warrant as the expiration of detention approaches while the trial is ongoing.

During the hearing, the prosecution stated, "The defendant has a history of concealing evidence and has consistently made false statements during the trial process," and requested, "We hope the court will issue an additional detention warrant for the defendant to dispel concerns about evidence destruction and to clarify the facts through a swift trial."

On the other hand, Professor Jeong's defense attorney argued, "It is a fact acknowledged by everyone that there is no risk of flight by the defendant," and added, "Since evidence investigation and witness examination have already taken place during the trial, the claim that there is a concern about evidence destruction is also vague."

The defense also stated, "For the fairness of the trial, it is important that the defendant can fully utilize her memory and exercise her right to defense," and added, "So far, the defendant has been detained and has had difficulties responding to the weekly trials held once a week."

The court announced that after reviewing both parties' opinions, it will decide whether to issue an additional detention warrant by 3 p.m. on the 8th of next month.

Earlier, in March, the court rejected Professor Jeong's bail request on the grounds of "concerns about evidence destruction."

At that time, the court stated, "Although there is no risk of flight, detention is necessary at this point as witness examination regarding the charges has not yet been conducted."

Since then, the court has conducted witness examinations of 10 individuals, including former Dongyang University President Choi Seong-hae.

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