By Park Si-soo Staff Reporter A regional court will hold the trial of a thief in the presence of a jury for the first time in Korea next month. South Korea has recently decided to introduce the U.S.-style jury system from this year and Daegu District Court will be the first to let citizens participate in the trial procedures as jury members on Feb. 12. The trial, named ``Citizen's Participation in Criminal Trial,'' reflects the growing demand for participation from interest groups and the general public. The first case under the new system will be for that of a 27-year-old, Lee, who was indicted with physical detention last month on charges of house trespassing and assault. Lee asked the district court for his trial to run under the participatory system on Jan. 10. The court in the southeastern city recently randomly selected 230 citizens living in nine regions in its vicinity as jury candidates. Among them, it will select all 12 members of the jury. All Koreans over 20 will be eligible to be jurors. People engaging in certain specific fields such as law and national defense will be excluded along with those with criminal records. Jurors will deliver their verdict to a presiding judge, but the decision does not carry legal binding force but rather serves as an advisory statement. ``The jury will help judges decide whether the accused is guilty or innocent. They will also be allowed to express their opinions in metering out the sentencing of the accused,'' said Daegu Court spokesman Um Jong-kyu. ``Many media outlets including Japan and other Asian countries have shown an interest in this case because it is de facto the first case of jury trial in Asia.'' The Supreme Court estimates about 100 to 200 criminal cases will be dealt with by the new system in 2008. pss@koreatimes.co.kr