Application of Criminal Organization Charges to 'Baksa Bang'... Court Starts One-Month Countdown

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] "Do you have any opinions regarding the prosecution's trial proceedings? If not, shall we proceed to sentencing?" (Presiding Judge)

"There is a high possibility that the defendant will face additional charges next month. To consolidate the cases, we would like to schedule another hearing..." (Prosecutor)

On the 27th, during the second trial of Han Mo (27), an accomplice in the 'Baksa Room' case, held at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 31 (Chief Judge Seongpil Cho), the prosecution was earnest. This was a repetition of a request made during the first trial last month. The court's response was lukewarm. The presiding judge also expressed a negative tone, saying, "It is uncertain whether additional charges will be filed."

The additional charges mentioned by the prosecution refer to applying the crime of organizing a criminal group against the 'Baksa Room' operator Jo Joo-bin (24, detained and indicted) and his accomplices. Although arrest warrants were issued on the 25th for two paid members of the Baksa Room, this charge has not yet been applied to Jo and other main perpetrators who have already been indicted. When the prosecution reiterated their intention to file additional charges within a month, citing the recent arrests of the two paid members, the court finally accepted the request to postpone sentencing.

The countdown has begun regarding the application of the crime of organizing a criminal group, which is considered a turning point in the Baksa Room investigation. The prosecution now has one month to file additional charges. If they fail to do so within this period, some of Jo's accomplices will have to be indicted separately. This situation could lead to criticism of 'prosecuting before investigation' and 'abuse of prosecutorial discretion.'

The prosecution has been considering applying the crime of organizing a criminal group even before indicting Jo last month. They viewed Jo and his associates as an 'organic coalition' performing divided roles. However, after more than two months of investigation, no conclusion has been reached, and in the meantime, the trials of Jo and his group have proceeded swiftly as the defendants admitted most of the charges. Some trials, like Han's, have already completed all hearings.

From the prosecution's perspective, the court's initial judgment that the main charges against the two paid members of the Baksa Room, to whom the crime of organizing a criminal group was first applied, have been substantiated is a significant consolation. Initially, whether arrest warrants would be issued for these members was widely analyzed as a gauge for applying the crime of organizing a criminal group to Jo and his accomplices.

If the crime of organizing a criminal group is applied to Jo and his group, they could face sentences up to life imprisonment. Regardless of their position within the organization, all members are punished according to the severity of the intended crimes. Jo and his group have denied the charges of organizing a criminal group since the investigation stage, seemingly aware of this. The prosecution currently has 36 participants of the Baksa Room, including Jo and Kang, under investigation for the crime of organizing a criminal group.

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