Ahn Jung-kwon (43), a conservative YouTuber who was accused of insulting the former President Moon Jae-in and his wife, applied for bail through a lawyer.
At the first trial held today (19th) in the 13th Criminal Division of the Incheon District Court (Chief Judge Ho Seong-ho), Ahn's lawyer, who was arrested and charged with insulting and violating the Public Official Election Act, argued that "personal restraint due to acts of expression is very unfair." I did.
He continued, "The prosecution's standards for violating the Election Act are very harsh for the general public, and they have never set a harsh standard for politicians."
About 100 Ahn supporters with sunflower flowers in hand gathered in the court today, and the trial was delayed for more than 30 minutes as the judge demanded that some of the audience leave.
They held a rally near the Incheon District Court before the start of the trial and demanded, "Release the fighters from the right of stability."
Ahn was arrested and indicted on charges of insulting the former president and his wife, including using a loudspeaker to swear 48 times while holding seven rallies near his private residence in Pyeongsan Village, Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, from May 12 to 30, right after the resignation of President Moon.
Prosecutors said he had a live broadcast on YouTube while protesting near his home, and made a lot of money with support from his supporters.
Previously, former President Moon Jae-in sued Ahn on charges of insulting him in May.
Ahn is also accused of broadcasting 13 times slandering Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, a candidate for the 20th presidential election from the end of September last year to last March.
Previously, from August 2020 to April this year, he was indicted 15 times on charges of defamation or insult in violation of the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection.
Ahn, who has been operating the video platform 'Bellado', was specially invited to the inauguration ceremony of President Yoon Seok-yeol in May, and his sister submitted her resignation last July after a controversy while working as an administrative agent in the presidential office.