South Korea: Yoon attends 1st hearing of criminal trial on insurrection charges
Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared for the first preliminary hearing of his criminal trial Thursday on charges of leading an insurrection, making him the nation's first sitting president to stand criminal trial, Yonhap reports.
Yoon, who has also been under an impeachment trial that entered its final stage, was indicted last month on the charge of insurrection over his failed martial law bid. The charge supersedes his presidential immunity from prosecution.
The preliminary hearing took place at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul at 10 a.m. and ended in just 13 minutes, with the court scheduling another preliminary hearing for March 24.
A preliminary hearing, which aims to clarify the main disputes of the case and plan for future proceedings, does not require the defendant's presence.
Yoon still chose to attend Thursday's session, entering the court dressed in a black suit and a red tie.
At the hearing, Yoon's legal representatives said they would outline their stance on the charges faced by Yoon at a future date, noting they have yet to review all the records of the case.
They also did not clarify their stance on whether to merge the case with that of others indicted for their alleged roles in Yoon's martial law imposition, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.
The prosecution argued against merging the cases, saying it would be more efficient to conduct the trials separately.
After the session ended, the court began a review of Yoon's request to cancel his arrest and release him.
One of Yoon's lawyers told reporters before the hearing that the impeached president would cooperate with the review, arguing against his detention.
"As the grounds for his arrest are no longer valid and it is all too clear that he is currently under illegal arrest, (we) expect the judge to make a sensible decision," Yun Gap-geun said.
Yoon has been held at a detention center since mid-January after being detained by investigators on charges of inciting an insurrection through his short-lived imposition of martial law.
The hearing took place as Yoon's supporters gathered near the court to call for his release.
Police mobilized some 3,200 personnel around the court for crowd control, installing barriers and lining up police buses to maintain order.
It was reported earlier, the South Korean President declared emergency martial law; parliament voted to lift the declaration.