Lee Ha-sang & Kwon Woo-hyun: Supreme Court Dismisses Detention Appeal – Legal Order Failure

Former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun’s lawyers appealed against the court’s detention order for failing to maintain legal order, but the Supreme Court did not accept it.

According to the legal community on the 10th, the 1st Division of the Supreme Court (Chief Justice Noh Tae-ak) dismissed the special appeal filed by lawyers Lee Ha-sang and Kwon Woo-hyun on the 6th. Attorney Lee also applied for suspension of execution, but it was also not accepted.

Imprisonment is a system in which a person who violates legal order is imprisoned in a prison or detention center for a certain period of time according to the order of the judge.

Previously, at the trial of former Prime Minister Han Deok-soo, held on November 19 last year at the Criminal Settlement Division 33 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Jin-gwan Lee), Attorney Lee and Attorney Kwon requested, “Please allow me to sit with former Minister Kim, who is sitting in the witness box,” but this was not accepted on the grounds that “Only in the case of a crime victim, a defense attorney can be present when appearing as a witness.” Then, the two lawyers continued to raise their hands and tried to speak, but when they were not given the right to speak, they protested, saying it was an “abuse of power.” The judge sentenced the two lawyers to 15 days of confinement.

Attorney Lee and Attorney Kwon refused to answer the court’s questions about personal information during the detention trial. The Seoul Detention Center did not detain the lawyers, saying their personal information was not specified. Released lawyers appeared on a YouTube channel and criticized the court.

Immediately after the conclusion of the trial on former Minister Kim’s alleged obstruction of official duties held at the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Agreement 34 (Chief Judge Han Seong-jin) on the 3rd, the court executed a detention order for the lawyer. No detention was imposed on Attorney Kwon, who did not attend the trial on the day. During the detention trial, Attorney Kwon was sentenced to an additional five days of detention for making insulting remarks to the court, such as “Are you trying to do this?”

Attorney Lee is scheduled to be detained at the Seoul Detention Center until the 16th. It has been determined that the Korean Bar Association has begun the process of initiating disciplinary action against Attorney Lee in relation to his abusive language toward Chief Judge Lee on YouTube.