Kwon’s trial on bribery charges is delayed

The bribery trial of Kwon Roh-kap, a former adviser to the ruling Millennium Democratic Party, was postponed on its first day after his lawyer requested a delay. The lawyer, Lee Seok-hyung, said that he was not prepared to defend Mr. Kwon because he had only recently received the prosecution’s records of its investigation of Mr. Kwon.
Mr. Kwon, 73, is accused of receiving 20 billion won ($17 million) in bribes from the Hyundai Group.
Mr. Kwon appeared relaxed on the first day of his trial in Seoul District Court. But when the judge asked him for his home address and resident identification number he rambled, saying, “I was born in the 1930s. Thus my ID number would begin with 30.” He also failed to correctly give his home address.
Mr. Lee said, “The prosecution investigated Mr. Kwon too forcefully and he is now in a panic.”
The next session is scheduled for Oct. 7.

by Kim Hyeon-gyeong