Park’s trial may be filmed as top court lifts ban
Seoul, July 25: South Korea’s Supreme Court on Tuesday lifted a ban on the filming of trials, opening the possibility of live TV coverage of the sentencing of disgraced president Park Geun-Hye and Samsung heir Lee Jae-Yong.
At a rare meeting of justices presided over by Chief Justice Yang SungTae, the court adopted new regulations on filming of trials, effective August 1.
“With the amendment, live TV coverage of lower court and appeals court sentencings will be permitted”, it said.
The measure will help enhance the “people’s right to know”, it added.
Supreme Court spokesman Judge Cho Byung-Koo said the move gives lower and appeal court judges a free hand in deciding whether to allow live TV coverage of verdicts and sentencings.
“If the courts decide in favour of allowing live transmissions on the grounds of public interest, the decision will overrule protests from the accused”, he said.
“But at moments of sentencing, TV cameras will be ordered to be angled to show the judge only, not the accused”, he said.
Following the decision, it is widely expected that live TV coverage of Ms Park’s sentencing, expected in October, and Samsung heir Lee will be available.
The decision came after a groundswell of public opinion calling for live broadcasts in key trials such as those of Ms Park and Mr Lee.
The Supreme Court has only allowed live online streaming for its own rulings so far.