Park Jong-jun, the former head of the Presidential Security Service, bowed his head in acknowledgment of all charges against him during the first appeal hearing on August 20. He is accused of systematically obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan, following the declaration of a state of emergency on December 3.
The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 1, presided over by Judge Yoon Seong-sik, held the first appeal hearing for Park and three others charged with obstructing special public duties and abuse of power.
In the first trial, the court recognized the charges of obstructing special public duties and sentenced Park to four years in prison, Kim Sung-hoon, the former deputy chief, to five years, and Lee Kwang-ho, the former head of the security headquarters, to two and a half years. Kim Shin, the former head of the family department, who was responsible for on-site operations, received a one-year sentence with a two-year probation.
Following the first trial verdict, all defendants and the special prosecutor's team led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok filed appeals.
During the appeal, Park's defense team withdrew their claim of innocence and stated they would only contest the severity of the sentence. Park stated, "Throughout my 30 years of public service, I have tried to uphold the law and principles, but I deeply regret and apologize for causing confusion among the public and the risk of physical conflict between state agencies due to my shortcomings."
In contrast, Kim's defense team argued against the severity of the sentence and claimed factual errors and legal misunderstandings, stating they would contest some charges. Kim's lawyer asserted that the allegations regarding the deletion of phone records by former President Yoon were not an instruction to destroy evidence but rather a request for normal security measures, and questioned the credibility of key witness Kim Dae-gyeong, the former head of the support headquarters.
The special prosecutor's office appealed the first trial's decision, which found some charges against Kim not guilty, citing factual errors and legal misunderstandings. They pointed out that even if Kim did not attend the pre-meeting, he was involved in the installation of barriers on-site and directly exercised physical force against the officers executing the warrant, establishing a sequential and implicit conspiracy regarding the overall crime.
The special prosecutor's office also argued against the severity of the sentences for all defendants, stating, "This is a serious crime that undermined the lawful criminal justice process by mobilizing state agencies and personnel, damaging public trust in the rule of law, yet the defendants have not shown remorse during the investigation and trial process, denying their actions entirely." They criticized the original sentence as excessively lenient.
After hearing both sides, the court ordered both parties to submit written statements by September 2, detailing their positions on the legality of the security measures regarding the phone and the extent of Kim's involvement in obstructing the arrest.
Additionally, the court decided to separate the proceedings for Lee and Kim, who do not require further evidence investigation, and will proceed with the decision-making process later. Upon this decision, Lee and Kim quickly exited the courtroom.
The court accepted witness requests from Park's side for Ahn Mo, the former head of the planning and management office, and from Kim's side for Kim, the former head of the support headquarters, and announced that hearings would continue on September 9 and 11 for witness examinations.
Before the hearing, the court approved the special prosecutor's request for live broadcasting, stating that the seriousness of the matter, the public's right to know, the fairness of the trial, and the protection of the defendants' privacy were all considered in allowing the broadcast from the start to the end of the trial.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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