Seoul: The trial of former South Korean president Park Geun-hye will proceed without her, a court said, following a hiatus of more than 40 days as she boycotted proceedings.
Park, who was ousted earlier this year over a sprawling corruption scandal, has refused to appear for her trial, angry at the court’s decision last month to extend her detention by six months.
Her legal team quit last month over the decision, accusing the court of bias. Park has since refused to cooperate with a team of state-sponsored defence lawyers appointed by the court, and failed to appear for her trial on Monday and yesterday.
“We have a lot of things to do, including the questioning of many witnesses. Taking into account the limited time ... we cannot delay the trial any longer,” presiding judge Kim Se-yoon said yesterday.
Authorities at the detention centre said they were unable to force Park out because of her status as a former president of South Korea. — AFP
Did you find this article insightful?
