▲ Former Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Dae-ki
Kim Dae-ki, the former presidential chief of staff who was arrested and indicted on charges of ordering the illegal diversion of budget funds during the relocation of the presidential residence under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, has requested that the court allow him to stand trial without detention.
The Seoul Central District Court’s Criminal Agreement Division 36 (Presiding Judge Lee Jeong-yeop) held the first preparatory hearing today (July 2) for former Chief of Staff Kim, former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, former Secretary for General Affairs Yoon Jae-soon, and former Secretary for Management Kim O-jin. The court also conducted a bail hearing for the former chief of staff.
Only Kim appeared in court for the bail hearing, while the other defendants did not attend.
The Attorney argued that Kim poses no risk of flight or destruction of evidence and noted that he recently underwent surgery for a cerebral hemorrhage. The Attorney asserted that, considering his health condition, it is necessary to guarantee his right to defense by allowing him to remain free during the trial.
In response, the special counsel team countered, "Looking at the evidentiary opinion document submitted by The Attorney, they are refusing to agree to all witness statements." The prosecution added, "Given that the charges are not being admitted, it is questionable whether there has been a sufficient change in circumstances to warrant bail after his arrest."
The prosecution further requested that the court maintain the detention, stating that there is still a risk of evidence destruction and that the arrest warrant was issued in light of his position and influence.
When given the opportunity to speak, Kim said, "I do not know much about the law, but I have seen many cases throughout my life, and I question whether this case warrants physical detention." He added, "The special counsel claims there is a risk of evidence destruction, but the Yoon Suk-yeol administration has collapsed. It has no influence anywhere."
He further stated that he has had absolutely no contact with individuals involved in the case, including former Secretary Yoon.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the court stated, "We will decide on the bail request after reviewing the records."
Considering that the opinions of both sides regarding the evidence have not yet been finalized, the court decided to hold one more preparatory hearing on the 15th and scheduled the first trial date for the 22nd.
Kim and the others are accused of ordering the illegal diversion and execution of 2.09 billion won from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety budget—funds unrelated to the residence project—to pay an unqualified contractor, 21gram, during the presidential residence relocation in 2022.
At the time, the budget allocated for interior construction as part of the residence relocation was 1.44 billion won, but 21gram, the company that actually handled the construction, submitted an interior cost estimate of approximately 4.12 billion won.
Investigations revealed that even though the costs were three times the original plan, the presidential office proceeded with the construction without any verification or adjustments.
The 2nd Special Counsel Team led by Kwon Chang-young indicted the four individuals last month, concluding that the presidential office under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration pressured the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to illegally execute the budget to cover the increased construction costs.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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