”Accelerating without stepping on the accelerator”... Driver denies charges in City Hall Station wrong-way accident even in court = South Korea

Cha (68), the driver involved in the wrong-way accident near Seoul City Hall Station in July this year, which left nine people dead, admitted in court that "the car accelerated even though I was not pressing the accelerator."
Cha's lawyer stated on the 11th at the Seoul Central District Court during the first hearing of the case for violation of the Special Law on Traffic Accident Handling (causing death and injury) that he "denies the facts of the charges."
The defense lawyer said, "At the time of the incident, the defendant did not step on the accelerator, but the car accelerated for some other reason, and the brakes did not work even though he stepped on them."
The defendant cannot be said to be negligent just because he did not take prior measures such as driving the wrong way and honking the horn."
The defense also cited the National Forensic Service and the vehicle accident report submitted by the prosecution as evidence.
The court said it did not agree with the manufacturer's assessment and would conduct additional fact-finding procedures. The court has set aside a hearing for the 13th of next month to call and question National Forensic Service officials as witnesses.
The trial was postponed once more. Today, Cha left the detention center wearing a green prison uniform. He remained expressionless throughout the trial. When the court asked him what his occupation was, he answered clearly, "I was a bus driver."
Cha was driving a car leaving the underground parking lot of the Westin Chosun Hotel near City Hall Station at around 9:26 pm on July 1 when he drove the wrong way and drove onto the sidewalk, killing nine people and injuring five.
Cha has consistently maintained since the incident that the car suddenly accelerated, but the prosecution has determined that the accident was caused by accidentally stepping on the accelerator.