First Trial of Yoo Dong-gyu in 'Daejang-dong' Delayed Again Due to COVID... Court to Consolidate with Kim Man-bae Case

Yoo Dong-gyu, former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation [Image source=Yonhap News]

The first trial of Yoo Dong-gyu, former Planning Director of Seongnam Urban Development Corporation and a key figure in the 'Daejang-dong development preferential treatment and lobbying allegations,' was postponed again due to the occurrence of COVID-19 cases in the detention center. The court decided to consolidate this case with the case involving Kim Man-bae, the major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management (Hwacheon Daeyu), for joint trial.

On the 24th, a court official stated, "A COVID-19 case was confirmed at Seoul Detention Center," and announced the postponement of Yoo’s first trial session on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes, which was scheduled to be held at 10 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 22 (Presiding Judge Yang Cheol-han). Yoo was not diagnosed with COVID-19, but his transfer was restricted due to a full-scale investigation within the detention center. This is the second time his trial has been postponed.

The court official also said, "We plan to proceed with the preparatory trial by consolidating related cases in the future." The case of Kim, who was indicted on charges including breach of trust under the Specific Economic Crimes Act related to the Daejang-dong allegations, along with lawyer Nam Wook, owner of Cheonhwa-dongin No. 4, and accountant Jeong Young-hak, owner of Cheonhwa-dongin No. 5, was assigned on the 22nd to the same trial division handling Yoo’s case. The preparatory trial is a session held before the main trial to confirm the defendant’s position on the charges and to examine key issues, and the defendant is not required to attend.

Previously, Yoo was indicted while in custody on charges of conspiring with Kim and others to divert at least 65.1 billion KRW in land development dividends and at least 117.6 billion KRW in implementation profits to Hwacheon Daeyu, causing losses to the corporation.

The prosecution believes that Yoo, while serving as Planning and Management Director of Seongnam Facilities Management Corporation in 2013, received bribes amounting to 35.2 million KRW from lawyer Nam and accountant Jeong, and about 50 million KRW from Kim, and agreed to receive 70 billion KRW (42.8 billion KRW after tax deduction) from the profits of the Daejang-dong development.

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