Seoul: Former President Yoon Suk Yeol denied all charges at his second trial on martial law-related allegations Friday, marking his first public appearance since being arrested in July. The former leader was transported from Seoul Detention Center to the Seoul Central District Court for the hearing, which began at 10:15 a.m. and will be streamed online with personal information anonymized.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon, who appeared visibly thinner and wore a dark navy suit with his inmate number "3617" displayed, refused a jury trial after confirming his identity to the judge. He is facing charges for leading an insurrection, violating the rights of Cabinet members, revising the martial law proclamation, and obstructing his detention. Furthermore, Yoon is accused of ordering the deletion of call records and distributing false statements.
During the proceedings, Yoon's legal team contested the charges, asserting that the former president had declared martial law under emergency circumstances and lifted it following the National Assembly's repeal vote. They argued that Special Counsel Cho Eun-suk's indictment was politically motivated rather than legally grounded.
Yoon defended his alleged false proclamation, claiming it was discarded after being drafted to legitimize his actions. He recounted an incident involving former presidential secretary Kang Eui-gu, who drafted the document, stating, "I scolded (Kang), but he said he would just hold on to it."
The former president's last public appearance was at an arrest warrant hearing on July 9. Post-arrest, Yoon has avoided attending his insurrection trial or complying with special counsel summonses. His presence at the recent hearing was mandated by law for the new trial's commencement.
The special counsel requested swift trial proceedings, prompting the court to schedule weekly hearings, primarily on Fridays, with additional sessions on Tuesdays if necessary. The trial was followed by a hearing on Yoon's bail request, which the court declined to broadcast.
In his 18-minute address, Yoon argued that detention hindered his trial attendance and cooperation with investigators, expressing his intent to adhere to the judicial process if granted bail. He questioned the legitimacy of the charges, dismissing them as "childish," and attributed his absence from the insurrection trial to the difficulty of enduring a 6-square-meter cell. Despite health claims, he admitted, "It's not so critical that I can't breathe."