Seoul: Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the fifth hearing of his insurrection trial as controversy continued over his influence on next week's presidential election. Yoon arrived at the Seoul Central District Court in a black van and entered the building without answering reporters' questions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the former president faces charges of leading an insurrection and abusing his power through his botched imposition of martial law in December. The martial law bid led to his impeachment and removal from office, which in turn triggered the June 3 election to pick his successor.
The conservative People Power Party has been mired in an internal conflict over how far it should go to cut ties with the former president it was once affiliated with. Under pressure, Yoon left the PPP earlier this month amid perceptions that his continued membership was weighing on its presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo, whose approval rating was lagging behind that of his liberal Democratic Party rival Lee Jae-myung.
Controversy flared again last week after Yoon visited a movie theater to watch a documentary film on alleged election fraud, one of his justifications for declaring martial law. Lee Sang-hyun, former head of the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade, has been summoned to take the witness stand on Monday.
If convicted of insurrection, Yoon could be sentenced to a maximum penalty of life in prison or death.