By Lee Han-soo
All eyes are on Judge Kang Bu-yeong of the Seoul Central District Court, because he will make a high-profile ruling on the arrest of ousted former President Park Geun-hye on Thursday.
Kang, 43, will preside over a hearing from 10:30 a.m., with Park attending as a criminal suspect in a massive corruption scandal that led to her ouster by the Constitutional Court on March 10. Park faces a total of 13 charges, including bribery, abuse of power, extortion and passing on state secrets to her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil.
If arrested, Park would be the first former South Korean leader put behind bars since two former military dictators were imprisoned on corruption and mutiny charges in the mid-1990s.
Kang is the youngest judge of the three judges of the court assigned to handle arrest warrant-related issues. He was born on Jeju Island, graduated from Korea University's college of law and passed the bar exam in 2000. He started his judicial career at the Busan District Court in 2004. He has dealt with arrest warrant-related issues at the Seoul court since February.
"Although Judge Kang is conservative, he does not tend to go against the general trend," a close friend told The Korea Times. "It is unlikely he will make a controversial ruling." He refused to elaborate because of the issue's sensitivity.
Another friend said: "I have no doubt that Kang will make a fair ruling based on the law and principle that will be beyond misapprehension."
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| Kang Bu-yeong |
Kang, 43, will preside over a hearing from 10:30 a.m., with Park attending as a criminal suspect in a massive corruption scandal that led to her ouster by the Constitutional Court on March 10. Park faces a total of 13 charges, including bribery, abuse of power, extortion and passing on state secrets to her longtime confidant Choi Soon-sil.
If arrested, Park would be the first former South Korean leader put behind bars since two former military dictators were imprisoned on corruption and mutiny charges in the mid-1990s.
Kang is the youngest judge of the three judges of the court assigned to handle arrest warrant-related issues. He was born on Jeju Island, graduated from Korea University's college of law and passed the bar exam in 2000. He started his judicial career at the Busan District Court in 2004. He has dealt with arrest warrant-related issues at the Seoul court since February.
Kang could not be reached for comment. His close friends described him as a "conservative but reasonable" judge who "won't make a decision that defies dominant public opinion."
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"Although Judge Kang is conservative, he does not tend to go against the general trend," a close friend told The Korea Times. "It is unlikely he will make a controversial ruling." He refused to elaborate because of the issue's sensitivity.
Another friend said: "I have no doubt that Kang will make a fair ruling based on the law and principle that will be beyond misapprehension."
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