Lawyer Resigns from Defense in 'Court Disturbance' Case

Lawyers Lee Ha-sang and Ko Young-il have stepped down from their roles defending former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun in his ongoing legal cases. The decision was recently communicated to the court, according to reports.

Lawyer Yoo Seung-soo, who has been part of Kim's defense team, will continue to represent the former minister. Lee Ha-sang, in particular, has had a history of contentious interactions with the judiciary during trials involving Kim Yong-hyun, both as a defendant and as a witness.

One notable incident occurred in November of the previous year during a trial where former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was the plaintiff. Lee requested to sit next to Kim Yong-hyun, who was testifying as a witness, in a position designated for trusted individuals. When the court denied this request, Lee caused a disturbance in the courtroom. Subsequently, Lee was subjected to a 15-day detention order and was imprisoned in February at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province.

The departure of Lee and Ko is expected to allow Kim's remaining legal team to focus more intently on legal arguments in future proceedings. Meanwhile, Kim Yong-hyun was handed a three-year prison sentence in his first trial. He is accused of providing a list of intelligence agency operatives, classified as military secret level 3, to Noh Sang-won, who was a civilian at the time of the alleged martial law period offense.