Nationwide Courts on Two-Week Recess... 'Former Leader Lee Jae-myung's Trial' Also Temporarily Suspended

Courts across the country will enter a recess period for two weeks starting from the 29th to mark the summer vacation season. The trial of former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, which was held 2 to 3 times a week at the Seoul Central District Court, will also pause temporarily.

Seoul Central District Court, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Most courts nationwide, including the Seoul Central District Court, the largest court in the country, will have a summer recess from this day until the 9th of next month. The Seoul High Court will be on recess for three weeks until the 16th of next month.

The recess system was introduced in 2006 to resolve the issue where parties involved in cases could not take vacations on time due to different rest periods across various courts and trial divisions. During the recess, non-urgent trials such as ordinary civil, family, and administrative case hearings, preparatory hearings, mediation and reconciliation hearings, non-custodial criminal trial hearings, and trials that do not significantly affect human rights are not held. However, if the court deems it necessary, trials may proceed. Cases requiring prompt handling, such as provisional seizure and injunction hearings, suspension of execution, criminal trials of detained defendants, pre-trial detention hearings (warrant reviews), and detention or arrest validity hearings, will still be held during this period.

Trials related to former leader Lee’s ‘Daejang-dong, Wirye, Seongnam FC, and Baekhyeon-dong allegations’ have been scheduled after the recess. The sentencing trial for the public official election law violation case involving the late Kim Moon-gi, former head of Development Division 1 at Seongnam Urban Development Corporation, and false statements about Baekhyeon-dong is scheduled for September 6. The sentencing trial for Lee’s perjury coaching allegation case is also set for September 30, after the recess.

The trial for breach of trust charges against major shareholders of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, Kim Man-bae, lawyer Nam Wook, and other private developers involved in Daejang-dong has also been scheduled after the recess.

Trials related to the Democratic Party’s party convention cash envelope incident will also pause temporarily. The trial for Song Young-gil, leader of the Pine Tree Party, on charges of violating the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes (bribery) will resume after the recess. Sentencing for the trials related to Democratic Party lawmakers Heo Jong-sik, Lee Seong-man, and former lawmaker Lim Jong-sung regarding cash envelope acceptance is also scheduled after the recess.

The so-called ‘accusation inducement’ case involving Prosecutor General Son Jun-sung is also awaiting a second trial sentencing after the recess. Trials related to the concealment of the West Sea shooting incident and the forced repatriation of North Korean fishermen will also pause during the recess.

However, the first trial preparation hearing for Kim Man-bae and former Press Union chairman Shin Hak-rim, who are suspected of false interview reports about presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl during the last presidential election, will be held on the 31st.

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