By Kim Bo-eun
The Seoul Central District Court disallowed Wednesday the live broadcast of the high-profile ruling of Samsung Group heir Lee Jae-yong.
Attention had grown over whether the hearing would get live coverage, since it is the first major hearing since the Supreme Court allowed live broadcasts of lower court hearings of public interest, starting this month.
The district court will deliver rulings on Lee and four other Samsung executives on Friday on charges related to the bribery scandal involving former President Park Geun-hye and her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil.
“All five of the defendants including Lee submitted opinions against live coverage of the hearing,” the court said.
“We determined that public interest did not outweigh the irrevocable damage that the defendants may face due to live coverage of their hearings.”
Earlier, the court did not allow press coverage of Lee’s first hearing. However, the court had allowed limited press coverage of former President Park’s first hearing.
The court’s decision on Lee’s hearing is drawing attention over whether it will allow live broadcasting of Park’s first hearing, expected to be held in October.
Lee faces multiple charges including bribery.
Lee is suspected to have promised to provide 43.3 billion won ($38.1 million) — 29.8 billion won ($26.2 million) of which was paid — to Park’s friend Choi and her daughter, in exchange for Cheong Wa Dae facilitating his succession of Samsung Group from his father, Chairman Lee Kun-hee.
The presidential office is suspected to have exerted influence for a controversial merger of the group’s affiliates Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries to take place as a means for Lee to consolidate his control over the group.
Prosecutors are seeking a 12-year jail term for Lee. Lee has been denying the charges.
There has been a high-level of public interest in the trial. On Tuesday, 454 people signed up for a drawing for 30 courtroom seats for Lee’s hearing — more than 15 times oversubscribed, the highest yet for courtroom seat drawings for hearings and trials related to the presidential scandal.
For ex-President Park’s first hearing in May the competition rate was 7.7 times oversubscribed.
Last month, the top court revised regulations so that lower court hearings of cases deemed to be of public interest could be broadcast live without the consent of the defendant — in order to guarantee people’s right to know.
Formerly the court allowed limited media coverage before the hearings began with the defendants’ consent.