Choiganguk's side: "No special reason to be discriminated against as a member of the National Assembly"

Choi Kang-wook, Leader of the Open Democratic Party / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Seulgi Kim] The defense team of Choi Kang-wook, leader of the Open Democratic Party, who requested the court to conclude the trial early, stated, "There is no reason for the defendant to be specially discriminated against just because he is a member of the National Assembly."

On the 4th, Ha Joo-hee, the lawyer representing Leader Choi, wrote on her Facebook, "I am the one who most earnestly wishes to proceed with this as a 'common' trial," expressing this sentiment.

Lawyer Ha said, "At the first hearing, prosecutors conducted the trial in front of reporters, and even though they indicted the defendant, when I requested clarification on the charges, I thought that as long as I receive a not guilty verdict in court, it would be fine," adding, "I believed this case did not warrant punishment, politically or otherwise, and after reviewing the records, that was confirmed."

She continued, "In the meantime, the lawyer (Leader Choi) became a member of the National Assembly, but still, I only need to receive a not guilty verdict in court," and explained, "Due to his status as a National Assembly member, he had related obligations, so we attached an official document in advance to request a change of trial date."

She said, "At the first trial date, I had already mentioned that there might be scheduling conflicts after the opening of the National Assembly. In general criminal trials, it is common to request a date change for non-detained cases due to work-related reasons, but even when making the request, I sought understanding, explaining that it was unavoidable to prevent any misunderstandings."

Lawyer Ha stated, "While the trial dates for other defendants were easily changed, the court refused the request to change the trial date," adding, "So I asked for understanding from the start of the trial. However, the judge proceeded without asking the prosecutor's opinion on the progress or giving any reasons."

She added, "I again asked for understanding, saying that since it was unavoidable, how about postponing it to the next time? Emphasizing the party leader's position was to ask the court to consider that others might be affected because of him," and continued, "The judge proceeded without any explanation, unlike with other defendants."

Lawyer Ha emphasized, "I only need to receive a not guilty verdict, but there is no reason for the defendant (Leader Choi), who exercises his right to defense regarding the charges, to be specially discriminated against because he is a National Assembly member. If there are circumstances, a request to change the trial date can be made, and those circumstances can be explained to the judge, who can then proceed appropriately depending on the situation."

Earlier, at the second trial on the 2nd, Leader Choi requested, "As the party leader, I cannot miss official events. There is a press conference, so please handle the organized parts at the next (trial) date," but the court did not accept this request.

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