South Korea begins trial: What’s behind charges against Yoon Suk Yeol
Photo: Ousted former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (Getty Images)
In South Korea, the trial of the former president of the country, Yoon Suk Yeol, has begun. He is suspected of attempting to organize a coup through the introduction of martial law, according to Yonhap and France24.
The court hearing took place at the Central District Court of Seoul on the morning of Monday, April 14. The ex-president was present in person. According to media reports, the judges asked Yoon Suk Yeol to state his name, date of birth, and other personal information.
Journalists report that the former head of state denied his guilt in the plans to organize a coup.
"It goes against legal principles to build an insurrection case based on an indictment that looks like a printout of an incident that lasted only a few hours and was lifted immediately in a nonviolent manner upon accepting the National Assembly's demand to lift it," he said during the hearing.
On the other hand, the prosecution emphasized that Yoon Suk Yeol intended “to start a riot” with the aim of “subverting the Constitution.”
It is expected that during the trial, two officers will be questioned. One of them claims that he received an order from the top command “to drag out the lawmakers gathered in the National Assembly to lift the martial law.”
According to experts, the trial of the former president will be long.
“The first verdict is likely to be delivered around August, but the case involves around 70,000 pages of evidence and numerous witnesses. So if deemed necessary by the court, the trial may be extended,” France24 quotes lawyer Min Kyoung-sic.
By the way, in South Korea, rebellion can carry a life sentence or even the death penalty.
Impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol
Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office at the beginning of April. The reason was that in December 2024, he declared martial law in the country without valid grounds.
Martial law lasted literally a few hours — it was canceled by the parliament. At the same time, the deputies announced the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol.
More details about martial law in South Korea — in the material by RBC-Ukraine.
