The first preparatory trial for the criminal trial of former Vice Justice Lee Yong-gu, who was charged with assaulting a taxi driver while drunk, begins today (16th).
The 32nd Criminal Settlement Section of the Seoul Central District Court (Chief Judge Yoon Jong-seop) will hold the first trial preparation date for former Vice Minister Lee Yong-gu, who was charged with assaulting a driver under the Aggravated Punishment Act for Specific Crimes at 10 am today.
Trial preparation is a process in which the prosecution and the defendant arrange issues in advance and discuss a plan for investigating evidence for the efficient proceeding of the subsequent trial.
Unlike the official trial, the accused is not obligated to appear, so it is unclear whether former Vice Minister Lee will appear in person.
In November of last year, while working as a lawyer, former Vice Minister Lee was charged with grabbing a taxi driver by the neck who tried to wake him up from alcohol in front of his apartment in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
Immediately after the incident, former Vice Minister Lee agreed with the taxi driver and suggested that the black box video be deleted.
The police later closed the internal investigation by applying a simple assault charge, not a driver assault charge under the Special Act.
However, after the inauguration of former Vice Minister Lee, as the incident became known through media reports, there was a controversy over 'look after', and through SBS coverage, a black box video showing the assault of former Vice Minister Lee was revealed, causing outrage.
Prosecutors, who checked the black box video, applied and handed over the charge of assaulting a driver under the Special Act to the former vice minister, and a police officer belonging to the Seocho Police Station, who was in charge of the case at the time, also indicted without detention on charges such as neglect of special duties under the Special Act.