Former President Park boycotts hearing
Former South Korea President Park Geun-hye arrives at the Seoul Central District Court on Sep 18, 2017 in Seoul. / The Korea Times file
By Kim Hyun-bin
Former President Park Geun-hye failed to appear at the first hearing of her second trial, this time on charges of accepting bribes, embezzlement, and causing government losses, Tuesday. Park is accused of taking 3.6 billion won ($3.35 million) from National Intelligence Service chiefs, while serving in the nation's top office.
Three former spy agency chiefs _ Nam Jae-joon, Lee Byung-ki and Lee Byong-ho _ allegedly gave the money from the agency's off-book funds.
Nam headed the National Intelligence Service (NIS) from 2013 to 2014. He is suspected of paying 600 million won to the ex-president.
Lee Byung-ki and Lee Byong-ho are also accused of handing over regular payments to Park.
Her lawyers submitted a statement to the Seoul Central District Court, denying the charges, adding Park was unable to attend the hearing due to her health.
“The defendant did not appear in court. We concluded it is impossible to force her attendance,” the chief presiding judge said.
The court decided to push ahead with the trial, hinting that it could issue a judgment by default as only the prosecutors and court-appointed lawyers were present.
Park took office in 2013, but was impeached by the National Assembly Dec. 9, 2016.
She was ousted after the Constitutional Court upheld the impeachment March 10, last year.
Park has been standing trial while being kept in custody since her arrest in late March. The former president started to boycott all hearings starting October 16 to protest her extended detention.
Earlier this month, Park was sentenced to 24 years imprisonment and fined 18 billion won ($16.8 million) after being found guilty of abuse of power and extorting money from businesses.
Prosecutors initially sought to put her in prison for 30 years with a fine of 118.5 billion won.
The court convicted Park on 16 out of 18 charges including bribery, abuse of power, and soliciting more than 23 billion won in bribes from Samsung, Lotte and SK Group to fund the Mir and K-Sports foundations run by her close confidant Choi Soon-sil.
The ex-president denied the charges that also including sharing state secrets with Choi, who held no official position I her administration.
Choi was sentenced to 20 years in prison and fined 18 billion won as well as having 7.29 billion won in assets confiscated in February. Choi was charged with illegal manipulation of government affairs for her personal interests.
In 1996, two former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo were sentenced to a death and 22 year prison sentence, respectively, but both were later pardoned by then President Kim Young-sam.