Criminal trial starts for ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s criminal trial opened Monday on charges of leading an insurrection through his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. In court, Yoon countered the prosecution’s indictment point by point, much like his defense during his impeachment trial. He asserted that the martial law declaration was peaceful and intended solely as a warning to opposition lawmakers over their lack of cooperation. The trial comes just 10 days after the Constitutional Court removed Yoon from office in its April 4 ruling. Yoon is now the fifth former president in Korea to face a criminal trial. However, he is the first in the nation’s history to be indicted and arrested while still in office. Yoon arrived at the Seoul Central District Court at 9:48 a.m. in a black van, ahead of the schedule 10 a.m. trial start. His appearance was shielded from the media, as the court had approved a request from the Presidential Security Service (PSS) for a discreet arrival, citing security concerns. Exiting the vehicle shielded from public view, Yoon proceeded directly to the main courtroom through anWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times