SEOUL: South Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol appeared for the first preliminary hearing of his criminal trial on Thursday on charges of leading an insurrection, making him the nation’s first sitting president to stand criminal trial, reported Yonhap news agency.
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, and if convicted, Yoon could face a life sentence or the death penalty.
The preliminary hearing took place at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul at 10 am 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 dark blue 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 Defence 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.
Yoon has been held at a detention centre since mid-January after being detained by investigators on charges of inciting an insurrection through his short-lived imposition of martial law.
Yoon’s lawyers claimed that his detention was illegal, arguing that his detention period had already expired when prosecutors indicted him on January 26.
They also said Yoon’s martial law declaration was legitimate and did not amount to insurrection, claiming that he is not a flight risk.
Meanwhile, the prosecution argued the request should be dismissed, saying the indictment took place within Yoon’s detention period. Detained suspects can continue to be held if indicted within their detention period.
They also said that there were concerns of evidence tampering if Yoon is released.
The court ordered both sides to submit further opinions if needed within the next 10 days. Yoon did not make a statement himself at the court as was initially expected.
The hearing took place as about 500 supporters of the impeached president staged a rally calling for his release near the court, according to a police estimate.
Police mobilised some 3,200 personnel around the court for crowd control, installing barriers and lining up police buses to maintain order.
