'Statue of Girl Vandalism' 20th Japanese Absence... Trial Scheduled for March Next Year (Comprehensive)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Nobuyuki Suzuki (56), a Japanese national who was prosecuted in 2013 for committing a stake attack on the Comfort Women Statue, once again did not appear in court. The next trial date has been set for March next year.

On the 9th, Judge Hong Changwoo of the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 1 held a trial for Suzuki, who was indicted on charges including defamation, but postponed the trial as Suzuki did not appear in court.

Suzuki is accused of damaging the honor of the victim grandmothers by tying a stake inscribed with "Takeshima is Japanese territory" to the Comfort Women Statue in front of the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, in June 2012. He is also accused of sending packages containing models of the statue insulting the comfort women victims to the War and Women's Human Rights Museum in Mapo-gu, Seoul, and the House of Sharing, a comfort women shelter in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, in May 2015.

However, since being prosecuted in February 2013, Suzuki has ignored a total of 20 court summonses. The court expressed regret over the delay caused by the defendant's absence, stating, "The next trial will be scheduled once the related materials arrive," and urged the prosecution to "continue to pay attention to the request for extradition of the criminal."

After the trial was postponed, the court announced that the trial dates were set for March 11 and 25 of next year. A court official explained, "This was decided considering that the period for the defendant's summons and receipt of response materials generally takes about 10 months, as well as the time required for internal approval."

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