20 Years in Prison Demanded for Choo Kyung-ho... "Betrayed the Constitution" vs. "Politically Motivated Demand"

[Anchor]
Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho, who was put on trial on charges of obstructing People Power Party lawmakers from voting to lift the emergency martial law during the December 3 martial law incident, has faced a demand for a 20-year prison sentence. The independent counsel explained that the demand was due to an act of betraying the Constitution, while Mayor Choo pushed back, calling it an absurd and politically motivated sentencing demand.

This is legal affairs senior reporter Im Chanjong.

[Reporter]

The charge applied to Daegu Mayor Choo Kyung-ho by the independent counsel for the insurrection is participating in a key mission of an insurrection.

The accusation is that Mayor Choo, who served as the floor leader of the People Power Party at the time of the declaration of emergency martial law on December 3, 2024, obstructed People Power Party lawmakers from participating in the vote to lift martial law.

The independent counsel believes that after receiving a request for cooperation from the side of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, Mayor Choo changed the location of the general meeting of lawmakers three times, preventing 90 out of the 108 People Power Party lawmakers from participating in the martial law lifting vote.

During the first-instance sentencing hearing held yesterday (September 30), the independent counsel defined that Mayor Choo "actively carried out the mission of blocking the National Assembly's resolution to lift martial law during the insurrection instigated by former President Yoon."

The counsel then asked the court to sentence him to 20 years in prison, stating, "Please show clearly to the public what kind of price must be paid for betraying the Constitution and deceiving the people."

The 20-year prison term demanded for Mayor Choo is the second highest first-instance sentencing demand among defendants involved in key missions in this insurrection case, following former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.

In response, Mayor Choo argued that he had never received a request from former President Yoon Suk Yeol to obstruct the martial law lifting vote, and that changing the location of the lawmakers' meeting was a measure taken without any intention to block the resolution, meaning he never obstructed participation in the vote.

[Choo Kyung-ho / Daegu Mayor (after yesterday's sentencing hearing): (The independent counsel) followed up the political suppression indictment with an absurd political sentencing demand today, and I must express that I find this deeply regrettable.]

The court announced that it will deliver its ruling on November 18.

(Video reporting: Kang Si-woo, Video editing: Yoon Tae-ho)