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Ex-president Park Geun-hye during her first trial on May 23, 2018. (photo pool)
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Ex-president facing two other cases other than influence-peddling trial
After former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak, who is appealing a conviction for bribery and embezzlement, was released on bail, attention is turning to another ex-president – Park Geun-hye, who is behind bars at Seoul Detention Center. In short, Park isn’t likely to be granted bail because the requirements for her release are much stricter than they were for Lee. Park will remain in detention during her trial in the influence-peddling scandal, which has been pending at the Supreme Court, through Apr. 16. Park’s period of detention, which ends on that day, has already been extended three times by the prosecutors according to the Criminal Procedure Act. Since bail can only be requested before a defendant’s prison sentence has officially begun, Park could apply for bail, as Lee did, before Apr. 16. But she hasn’t applied for bail thus far. The problem is that, even if Park applied for bail and the court granted it, she couldn’t be released like Lee. While Lee is facing a single trial, Park has two other cases pending, in addition to the influence-peddling case. In a case involving meddling in the Saenuri Party’s lawmaker candidate nominations, Park was charged with violating the Public Official Election Act and sentenced to two years in prison on appeal. Since neither Park nor the prosecutors made a further appeal, her conviction was confirmed in November 2018. This means that even if Park were granted bail and released from jail before Apr. 16, she would go straight to prison. “When Park Geun-hye’s detention period ends on Apr. 16, her prison sentence will be executed. That sentence hasn’t been executed yet,” said an official with the Ministry of Justice. In a third case, Park has been accused of accepting money siphoned from the special activity fund of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). She was sentenced to six-years by a lower court, and that conviction is currently being appealed. Once Park begins her prison sentence, she will be officially regarded as a convict and therefore no longer eligible to apply for bail. She could petition for a stay of the execution of her sentence, however. But such a petition is only accepted under very narrow circumstances, such as when poor health or childbirth make imprisonment impractical. Back in 2013, the wife of the chairman of Yeongnam Flour Mill was caught asking a doctor to issue a falsified medical certificate to support her request for a stay of execution for her prison sentence. Park Geun-hye is reportedly unhappy that her court-appointed attorneys haven’t applied for bail despite her poor health. By Choi Woo-ri, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
