Chapter 154
The recess ended, and the trial resumed. It seemed the document submitted by the jurors before the break was a request for examination.
"Well, the jurors have requested to question witness Han Youngsun."
With Yang Hanseok's cross-examination concluded, the jurors now had the authority to request questioning. This was the part I was most looking forward to in this trial.
"Before that, let me emphasize once again. This trial is to determine whether defendant Oh Sanghyeon injured victim Go Yunseong—guilty or not. The trial court is fully aware that witness Han Youngsun's testimony may be somewhat distant from the core issues of this case."
The presiding judge's gaze lingered briefly on Yang Hanseok before returning to the front. I could read his intent to persuade Yang Hanseok, who had repeatedly protested that it was irrelevant to the case at hand. The judge couldn't ignore legitimate requests from the jurors. It would contradict the very purpose of lay judge trials, where citizens actively participate as the main actors.
Of course, the fact that citizens with limited legal knowledge influence verdicts doesn't always work positively. Public sentiment on the law often diverges sharply from legal practice, potentially stalling proceedings with inappropriate questions. But for us, even those negatives played to our advantage.
The defendant in this trial—the protagonist, if you will—was Oh Sanghyeon. But my true focus was Go Yunseong. Proving his crimes was the essence of this trial for me. The judge and Yang Hanseok both knew it. The atmosphere had shifted so much that if someone overheard a snippet without context, they'd think Go Yunseong was the defendant, not Oh Sanghyeon.
Moreover, proving Go Yunseong's crimes was necessary to establish Oh Sanghyeon's innocence, shielding us from criticism that we were obstructing the trial's smooth progress. Above all, it was what the jurors wanted.
"Witness Han Youngsun. Our presiding judge will ask a few questions on behalf of the jurors. Have you composed yourself a bit?"
"……Yes."
Han Youngsun, who had barely stopped crying during the recess, nodded with a somewhat haggard face.
"The key issue in this trial is whether defendant Oh Sanghyeon truly assaulted victim Go Yunseong. This is especially true since the defense denies all charges. Therefore, if victim Go Yunseong—who suffered injuries requiring eight weeks of treatment—was in a condition to subdue someone just days after hospitalization, it could confirm that the prosecution's claims of victim injury are exaggerated. That would mean assault rather than injury for the defendant. That's why we're conducting additional questioning of witness Han Youngsun."
"……Yes."
"Is it alright to proceed with questions?"
"Yes, Your Honor."
Han Youngsun cleared her throat and nodded firmly once more. The presiding judge—Park Sang-eun, seated to the right of the chief—was someone who had serialized ten columns on sex crimes in the past. In cases she presided over, sentences were rarely below average. She couldn't just gloss over Han Youngsun's testimony.
"Witness Han Youngsun, you said you were nearly raped by victim Go Yunseong, correct?"
There was still no way to corroborate Han Youngsun's testimony on Go Yunseong's attempted rape besides her word. She could have softened it to "he tried to force sex on me," but Judge Park Sang-eun used the precise term: rape.
"Yes."
"Could you describe the events of that day in detail?"
Following the judge's prompt, Han Youngsun calmly recounted what had happened. Unlike earlier, when she'd been unable to hide her agitation at Yang Hanseok's provocations, she was clearly making an effort to stay composed.
"So, victim Go Yunseong unbuttoned your blouse using the fingers of his casted arm?"
"Yes. Hic, and with his legs, he pinned down my lower body. With his hands, he went for my underwear……."
"Witness, that's enough. You can stop."
As tears began streaming down Han Youngsun's face, the presiding judge cut her off. It was understandable—she wanted to bury the trauma of nearly being raped, and losing emotional control was forgivable. It was heartbreaking.
After she withdrew, I called the site manager, whom I'd placed last on the witness list.
"Witness, please introduce yourself."
"I'm Chu Jeonguk, manager of the construction site at Centrel Apartments, where the incident occurred."
"According to worker testimonies from the site at the time, when the defendant and victim Go Yunseong headed to the alley behind the building where the incident happened, you ran into the site office. Is that true?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Chu Jeonguk unzipped his jacket, pulled up to his neck, and took a deep breath. He was visibly tense.
"Because the site office had the CCTV control room monitoring various parts of the construction area."
"CCTV control room. Please explain in detail."
"I didn't think much when Go Yunseong, the division head, called Agent Oh aside for a quick talk and they went to the alley. But when they didn't return after a while, I got worried something might be wrong and went to check."
"That's odd. Normally, if two people are gone a long time, wouldn't you just think the conversation was dragging on? Why check the CCTV?"
"……I was anxious."
"What made you anxious?"
"It didn't seem like Go Yunseong division head just wanted a simple chat with Agent Oh."
"Why not?"
"Because Go Yunseong's reaction was extremely aggressive when Agent Oh pointed out his rudeness."
Yang Hanseok stared at Chu Jeonguk, who continued his testimony calmly, with an expressionless face. But I could see his pen hand trembling. And his glances toward Hwang Youngchan, who had been in the gallery since earlier.
Until now, I hadn't been sure who sent people to keep the site manager out of court—Yang Hanseok or Go Yunseong's side. I'd excluded Hwang Youngchan, figuring he'd dump it on Yang Hanseok if caught. But now it was clear: Yang Hanseok's doing.
Yet he hadn't reached Hwang Youngchan's level of brazen shamelessness. Though the attempt failed, facing the man he'd tried to injure right there had clearly rattled him. Perhaps seeing the presiding judge take Han Youngsun's testimony seriously, and now with the site manager's adding up, he thought we might win this trial. His glances at Hwang Youngchan had noticeably increased. Maybe past losses in court had left a trauma. He should probably transfer to trial division to gain more experience.
"So you thought victim Go Yunseong didn't call the defendant just for conversation."
"Yes."
"What did you think when the two first disappeared?"
"I thought…… Go Yunseong division head might assault Agent Oh."
"I see. So, upon entering the office, did you check the CCTV?"
At my question, the site manager glanced back briefly. His gaze was toward Go Yunseong's lawyer in the gallery.
"Witness?"
"……I did."
"You saw the CCTV footage of the incident scene?"
"Yes."
"Then, please describe what you saw directly."
"Agent Oh—the defendant—was being gang-beaten by Go Yunseong division head and his entourage."
"You're saying the defendant was being assaulted by the victim? Not the other way around?"
"Yes. Go Yunseong division head had a nosebleed, but he was moving freely. The entourage held Agent Oh down so he couldn't move, while Go Yunseong punched and kicked him. I was worried Agent Oh might die."
"Did you watch the CCTV to the end?"
"Yes."
"The victim was so injured he had to be carried out by his entourage. What did you see on the CCTV?"
"Nothing like that."
"No further questions."
I stepped back. There was CCTV footage, but the timing wasn't right yet. The prosecution's cross-examination would come soon. Revealing the CCTV after that would be cleaner. To play undisclosed footage in court, we needed to show it countered the prosecution's claims.
"Witness."
Yang Hanseok gripped the mic and began his cross-examination.
"During the investigation, you said you rushed to see the CCTV but found none at the scene and saw nothing. Yet here in court, you're telling a completely different story. Why?"
"I was scared."
The site manager answered flatly.
"Witness, about a month before this trial opened, you encountered thugs on your way home from work. Is that true?"
At Yang Hanseok's question, Kang Minjae widened his eyes. That was a card we'd prepared to use ourselves. We'd deliberately reported it to the police for a record, given detailed statements. And Yang Hanseok himself was the one who sent the thugs. Why on earth was he bringing it up himself, tying his own noose?