When a complaint is properly received by the court, the court serves the defendant with a duplicate of the complaint, usually by certified mail but also by court officials or a marshall. If the defendant's address cannot be found, the court can order a public notice instead. The plaintiff can dismiss the case at any time before the defendant makes his pleading on the merit. In such case, the defendant is deemed to have consented to dismissal if he makes no objection within two weeks after the plaintiff moves to do so. The pretrial period is to clarify disputed facts and legal issues. The parties exchange briefs and supporting documents through answers and counterclaims under the court supervision. The defendant is required to file a written answer within 30 days after the complaint is served. In response, the defendant can accept, dispute, or remain silent about the allegations. If the defendant accepts the claim or admits all the facts, the court can render a judgment without a trial. When the defendant fails to contest the complaints in a timely manner or remains silent, the court can regard it as acceptance or admission as well. When the pre-trial period is over, the judge sets a date for the trial. The trial is public and done orally. As there is no jury in civil litigation, all trials are bench trials. The parties can represent pro se and the court can appoint a public defender for "in forma pauperis". The contested facts need to be proven by evidence, while facts admitted by the opponent do not require evidence. The judge can only rule based on the evidence presented and cannot use his or her personal knowledge to rule on the case. The court has very wide discretion in assessing relevance and materiality of evidence, and virtually any type of evidence can be admitted to the court. Typically, documentary evidence tends to have higher probative value than oral testimony. Unlike other countries, the party to the litigation cannot be a witness. A witness has the privilege not to testify if he or she has a justification. KCPA Article 315(1) lists attorneys, patent attorneys, notaries public, certified public accountants, doctors, pharmacists, and priests to have such privilege. The witness is first examined by one party and then cross-examined by the opposing party, followed by re-direct and re-cross. The judge can also ask questions of the witnesses during the examination. Leading questions are permitted only on cross-examination and not others. After the conclusion of the trial, the judge renders a judgment based on the evidence presented and law.