PHOTOS Ex-President comes out of prison after 62 days to stand trial

Lee Myung-bak arrives for the start of his trial, Wednesday. / Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

• Published May 23, 2018 3:06 PM KST
• Updated May 23, 2018 4:38 PM KST

By Park Si-soo

Former President Lee Myung-bak made his first public appearance in nearly two months on Wednesday to attend the first hearing of his corruption trial.

Lee, 77, was taken into custody on March 22 as a prime suspect in a massive corruption scandal. He has since boycotted questioning by prosecutors.

Lee, who ruled the country from 2008 to 2013, was indicted on April 9 on 16 counts of corruption, the country's fourth former leader to face trial. He has been accused of accepting about 11.1 billion won ($10.3 million) in bribes, including some 700 million won from the state spy agency and $5.85 million in lawsuit expenses Samsung Electronics paid on behalf of an auto parts company Lee is suspected of owning.

Other charges include taking kickbacks from a former head of a major financial firm and another businessman and a former lawmaker, embezzling about 35 billion won from the auto parts firm DAS and using the money for political and personal purposes, and leaking presidential documents.

He emerged from a prisoner transport bus around 1 p.m. at the Seoul Central District Court. Unlike other inmates who came out in prison garb and handcuffed, Lee stepped out of the bus wearing a black suit and white shirt, holding an envelope. He looked frail and exhausted. He was escorted into the courthouse while cameras flashed from every angle.

His trial began at 2 p.m.

The first several minutes of the trial were revealed to the public, as the court has granted media the right to cover the case before the hearing begins in earnest.

Lee has denied most of the charges against him.