"Illness in Old Age" Seo Hoon of 'West Sea Attack' Appeals for Release

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Former Blue House National Security Office Director Seo Hoon, who was detained and indicted on charges of concealing the 'West Sea Public Official Shooting Incident,' pleaded for release in court on the 11th, citing health issues.

On the morning of the same day, Seo's lawyer requested during the bail hearing held by the Criminal Division 25-2 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judges Park Jeongje, Park Sarang, Park Jeonggil), "The defendant suffers from cardiovascular disease. Considering his advanced age of 70, please decide on bail." The lawyer also emphasized that Seo is the only defendant among the related accused who remains detained.

Former National Security Office Director Seo Hoon, who was the top official in the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea security line during the 'West Sea Public Official Shooting Incident,' is attending the warrant hearing held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

On the other hand, the prosecutor opposed bail, citing the possibility that Seo might attempt to influence related parties. The court concluded the hearing without setting a decision date.

Earlier, Seo was detained and indicted on charges of instructing Joint Chiefs of Staff officials and others to maintain 'security measures' to conceal the shooting incident during a ministerial meeting held around 1 a.m. on September 23, 2020, the day after the public official, the late Lee Daejun, was shot by North Korean soldiers. He is also charged with distributing false press releases through the Coast Guard, making it appear as if Lee was being searched for while the shooting was concealed.

Seo's side denies the charges, stating that there was no attempt to conceal the shooting incident. They argue that the judgment of voluntary defection to the North was a legitimate policy decision made by synthesizing related intelligence within a limited timeframe.

Meanwhile, Lee's bereaved family stated on the 9th, "The key figure who forced the deceased to be labeled as defecting to the North must never be tried while released on bail."

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