Shim Woo-jeong, former Prosecutor General, appeared as a witness in the trial of Park Sung-jae, ex-Justice Minister, but declined to provide testimony due to ongoing death threats.
Trial Details
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 33, presided over by Judge Lee Jin-kwan, convened on March 12 for proceedings involving Park Sung-jae on charges of engaging in key insurrection-related duties. The session also addressed related figures, including Lee Wan-gyu, former Legal Affairs Director, indicted for perjury.
Shim had previously submitted a notice for non-attendance but showed up this time. He refused to answer questions from the special prosecution team and rebuffed cross-examination from Park’s defense.
Death Threats Cited
Sources confirm Shim has endured death threats, positioning him as the primary target linked to the internal key figure in Park’s alleged insurrection activities. These threats have intensified, targeting special investigators and Park’s former secretary.
Clash Over Complaints
The court pressed Shim to submit audit reports and death threat evidence, but he overlooked the requests. When presented with a formal complaint alleging investigative bias, Shim responded that his team is conducting thorough public verifications on the dozens of pages submitted as potential evidence, despite their one-sided nature.
Court officials countered that such verifications do not occur outside standard business hours. Shim rebutted, stating, “After reviewing the complaint details and receiving death threat materials ourselves, we perform internal checks, making public ones unnecessary in these circumstances.”
Next Steps
The court aims to assemble additional compelling evidence next month, targeting a first-instance verdict in May. Park faces charges stemming from actions immediately following the December 3 martial law declaration, including convening a Ministry of Justice directors’ meeting to explore dispatching prosecutors to a joint task force.
