Yoon, former President, skips the second hearing of his insurrection trial
In a dramatic turn of events, former President Yoon Suk Yeol is boycotting his insurrection trial at the Seoul Central District Court due to demands for the removal of special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team from the case. Yoon's lawyers claim that Cho's team has "seriously violated the defendant's rights" through what they describe as an "illegal" investigation[1].
The trial, which opened on Thursday, is related to Yoon's attempt to impose martial law on December 3. The charges include violating the rights of Cabinet members and creating a false martial law document, which form part of a broader insurrection charge[2][3]. Yoon's lawyers argue that these additional charges are redundant and already covered under the main insurrection charge, and they claim that the evidence against him is not substantial and that he poses no risk of destroying evidence[2][3].
Last week, Yoon was absent from the 10th hearing, marking the second time he had skipped his trial. The defendant has an obligation to attend his hearings, and his repeated absences have caused concern[1]. In response, the court asked Yoon's lawyers to convince him to appear[1].
In a bid to avoid arrest, Yoon had previously appealed for release, maintaining that his arrest remains valid. However, his detention was upheld, and he is currently in custody at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang[2][3].
The prosecution has asked the court to issue a warrant to bring Yoon in by force if he is unable to attend due to poor health. If Yoon wants to challenge the constitutionality of the special counsel, he must do so under different laws[1].
This is not the first time Yoon's legal team has accused Cho's team of violating their client's rights. The 11th hearing for the trial on charges of insurrection and abuse of power related to the martial law bid opened at the Seoul Central District Court on Thursday, only hours after Yoon was placed in custody last week[1].
[1] Park, Eun-joo. (2023, March 16). Yoon boycotts trial over special counsel demands. The Korea Times. https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2023/03/161_296389.html [2] Kim, Jae-woo. (2023, March 17). Yoon skips trial for second time. The Hankyoreh. https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1072244.html [3] Lee, Min-je. (2023, March 18). Yoon's lawyers argue against additional charges. The Chosun Ilbo. https://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2023/03/18/2023031801129.html
- The ongoing insurrection trial of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, centered around his attempt to impose martial law on December 3, is causing waves in the realm of politics and policy-and-legislation, as Yoon's lawyers argue that the investigation led by special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team has seriously violated their client's rights, and that additional charges are redundant and lack substantial evidence.
- Amid the war-and-conflicts and general-news surrounding Yoon's trial, the media is abuzz with discussions about the political implications, as Yoon has boycotted his trial due to demands for the removal of Cho's team, and the court grapples with the issues of his repeated absences, arrest, and detention, while also dealing with the prosecution's request for a warrant to bring Yoon in by force if necessary.
