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The trial of Song Du-yul, a sociology professor at the University of Munster in Germany who was indicted for violating the National Security Law, is likely to proceed in absentia. The Seoul High Court on Tuesday decided to continue without the defendant.
The trial, which was supposed to take place last month, has already been postponed once because Song failed to show up. The Criminal Procedure Law stipulates that if a defendant does not show up twice or more in an appeal, the court can proceed without the accused.
Song¡¯s lawyer, Kim Hyung-tae, said after the trial, ¡°Song decided not to come to Korea after discussing it with his supporters, including world famous philosopher and sociologist Jürgen Habermas.¡± The prosecution demanded ¡°appropriate punishment¡± based on a decision by the Supreme Court. The verdict will be delivered on July 24.
Song was arrested in October 2003 on charges of activities against the state and having become a member of the Politburo of the North Korean Workers` Party under the name Kim Chul-su in 1991. He was sentenced to seven years in prison at first instance, but the appeals court reduced the sentence to three years in prison and five years probation, saying there was not enough evidence to prove that he was a member of the Politburo of North Korea¡¯s Workers' Party. He was found guilty only of crossing the North Korean border secretly five times.
The Supreme Court, however, sent the case back to the Seoul High Court, insisting that it is difficult to view Song¡¯s visit to North Korea after obtaining German citizenship as an ¡°escape.¡±
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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