Musical Actor Nam Kyungju, Accused of Sexually Assaulting Student, Faces Jury Trial with Citizen Participation in November

To Be Held on November 27 and 30

The trial of musical actor Nam Kyungju, who has been indicted on charges of sexually assaulting one of his students, will proceed as a jury trial with citizen participation.

Musical actor Nam Kyung-Joo. Photo by Yonhap News

The 29th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Eom Gipyo) held the first preparatory hearing for Nam's case on charges of sexual misconduct involving a person under his supervision on August 26, announcing, "We will conduct a jury trial with citizen participation over two days, on November 27 and 30."

Previously, Nam's legal team stated, "The main issue is whether a supervisory relationship existed between the defendant and the victim," and added, "Both the defendant and the defense counsel wish to have the case evaluated by a jury."

In response, the court said, "There are structural limitations in the citizen participation trial system that may not fully protect the victim," but added, "Considering this is a life-defining event for the defendant, we will respect the defense counsel's opinion and proceed with a jury trial with citizen participation."

On the first day of the trial, the court will conduct personal confirmation of the defendant, opening statements by the prosecution, examination of evidence including CCTV footage and audio recordings, and cross-examination of five witnesses requested by the defense. On the second day, the proceedings will include witness examination of the victim and defendant, sentencing recommendation by the prosecution, the final statement by the defense, and the announcement of the verdict for Nam.

Nam, who was an associate professor at the School of Performing Arts at Hongik University, is accused of sexually assaulting a female student last December at a location in Seocho-gu, Seoul, by abusing his social status and position. Nam's side requested that the case be referred to a criminal mediation procedure in an attempt to reach a settlement, but the effort failed as the victim refused.

The jury trial with citizen participation allows members of the public to serve as jurors in criminal trials, offering their verdict on guilt and their opinion on sentencing. However, the jury's decision is not legally binding and serves only as a recommendation.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.