Park Geun-hye Trial

[Anchor Lead]

Disgraced former president Park Geun-hye refused to show up for a court hearing on Thursday, citing health issues. Meanwhile, the court has begun procedures to appoint an attorney for her. Park's friend and fellow defendant Choi Soon-sil sharply criticized prosecutors for requesting an additional arrest warrant for her.

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Park Geun-hye refused to attend a court hearing on Thursday. She submitted a written explanation of her refusal, citing health issues, via the Seoul Detention Center. The Seoul Central District Court said it would postpone the trial because the defendant was absent and there were no attorneys to represent her. The court added that it would appoint a new attorney for Park and will hold trial proceedings in a swift and fair way in line with the law. This apparently means that the judges are determined to prevent disruptions in Park's trials by holding trials in absentia if necessary. Meanwhile, at the Thursday trial Choi Soon-sil's attorney said the prosecutors' request for additional arrest warrant for Choi was an abuse of power and a despotic act toward her. He also blamed the prosecutors for the delay in trial proceedings. When Choi Soon-sil was given a chance to speak in court, she said that she has been facing many hardships in her small prison cell, where even the toilet is open. Her true intentions became clear after the trial.

[Soundbite] Lee Kyung-jae(Choi Soon-sil's Attorney) : "Nov. 19 will have been one year since she was arrested. She says she wants to avoid an additional arrest warrant and is asking for swift trial proceedings."

Choi's second arrest warrant expires on November 19. Choi's attorney has also submitted to court a medical certificate saying that she needs a long period of rest due to anxiety.