I am Korean lawyer Cheong Jin-gyeong. As a member of Pastor Jeon Kwang-hoon’s legal team, I’d like to inform the international community about the reality of Pastor Jeon’s case.
As seen in the repatriation of North Korean defectors and the enactment of the anti-leaflet law, the Moon Jae-in administration has continuously violated the human rights of Koreans based on its pro-North Korea thinking. Pastor Jeon realized the true nature of this and fought against the administration. In retaliation, the Moon administration has inflicted political persecution on him.
It requested the first detention warrant on December 24, 2019, citing a protest held on October 3. More than a million people gathered in central Seoul to protest the Moon administration. Even though the rally was remarkably peaceful, however, they attempted to detain Pastor Jeon under the pretext of minor bruises to police officers. The claim did not meet the requirements for escape and destruction of evidence, and the court finally rejected the warrant request on January 2, 2020.
However, it conducted an investigation in order to apply for a second warrant from January 3, the day after the detention warrant was rejected. It sought the second detention warrant on charges of campaigning in advance and defaming the president. Surprisingly, the court issued a warrant on February 25, despite no changes in circumstances after the rejection of the first warrant.
The lawyers sought bail. It was clear that all the conditions of bail were met. Moreover, Pastor Jeon had undergone major surgery on his cervical vertebrae, and he also had to be injected with insulin twice per day because of serious diabetes. The court delayed its decision and reluctantly granted bail on April 20, after the April 15 general elections.
Only after the Moon’s victory in the general elections could Pastor Jeon be released on bail, but the court added incomprehensible conditions that cannot be found in the law. This was actually a threat that he could be put back in prison at any time. In fact, the court canceled his bail without even opening a hearing and imprisoned him again for violating bail conditions. The court said Pastor Jun’s remarks at the August 15 Liberation Day rally were a violation of bail conditions, but the rally was even approved by a court.
The charges against Pastor Jeon were therefore difficult to plead guilty to, and he was released from prison after the court found him not guilty on December 30, last year. However, Pastor Jeon is still on trial after the prosecution appealed with additional charges related to criticism of the Moon administration.
No regime lasts forever. We, Pastor Jeon’s attorneys, want to fight with conscientious forces around the world.
I appeal to everyone in the free world to join us in our fight.
Mr. Cheong Jin-gyeong is Executive Partner, Attorney at Law at Seok & Cheong Law Firm, and the International Committee Chairman of Lawyers for Human Rights and Unification of Korea. He previously served as a judge from 1989 to 2010, where he retired as presiding judge of the Seoul Central District Court. He also served as Chairman of the Gangbuk County Election Commission from 2008 to 2009 and worked as a professor at Chungnam National University’s Law School from 2012 to 2014. Previously he was an editorial board member of Supreme Court Labor Law Research Association and a counselor at the Ministry of Employment and Labor. He attended Seoul National University Law School, where he received bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees in law. He also studied at Duke Law School in the United States, where he received a master’s degree at law.
