Seoul: A Seoul court on Thursday assigned an additional judge to the bench tasked with the insurrection trials of former President Yoon Suk Yeol and others implicated in his short-lived martial law imposition in an effort to speed up proceedings. The Seoul Central District Court announced that an additional judge would join the bench led by judge Jee Kui-youn on Saturday to manage ordinary cases, thereby helping to reduce the workload of the existing three judges.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the bench is responsible for Yoon’s trial on charges of leading an insurrection, alongside trials for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and National Police Agency chief Cho Ji-ho, both indicted on charges related to engaging in essential activities in an insurrection. This judicial move is part of the court’s broader strategy to expedite proceedings for cases initiated by special counsels. The court indicated that it would actively consider redistributing other ordinary cases if requested.
The court is also placing greater emphasis on special counsel cases, highlighting that a bench will not be assigned five ordinary cases for every special counsel case it handles. Furthermore, the benches dealing with new charges against Yoon and the case involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee will not be assigned 10 ordinary cases, recognizing the complexity of these cases.
In accordance with a special counsel bill passed last week, the court is preparing to broadcast trials involving special counsel investigations. Additionally, it plans to construct an extra criminal courtroom by the first half of next year to ensure sufficient space for handling criminal cases.