Ousted South Korean President Park Geun-hye’s corruption trial was put on hold on Thursday after her lawyers resigned calling the proceedings biased, AFP reported. The judge adjourned the proceedings in the case to an unspecified date.
The defence team had resigned on Monday, after Park said the trial was a “political revenge”. Park also refused to attend the trial on Thursday, citing poor health. She is accused of bribery, coercion and abuse of power for offering governmental contracts to business tycoons.
The court had urged Park’s lawyers to reconsider their resignations to “prevent possible disadvantages to the accused”, but the lawyers did not comply, senior judge Kim Se-Yun said on Thursday. “This case cannot proceed without defence lawyers, as the charges against the accused may entail a heavy punishment,” he added. He said that the court would appoint state attorneys to replace them.
Current South Korean President Moon Jae-in won the general election on May 9, 2017. The election was necessitated by Park’s ouster. Almost 77.2% of the South Korean electorate had voted in the polls, the highest since Kim Dae-jung was elected president in 1997.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!