Former President Yoon Suk Yeol's appellate trial for resisting arrest last year began Wednesday, with the first hearing held at 2 p.m. at the Seoul High Court.
The 65-year-old former president was sentenced to five years in prison in January on multiple charges, including obstructing investigators’ attempt to detain him, infringing on Cabinet members’ deliberation rights, drafting a revised version of his Dec. 3, 2024 martial law declaration and destroying it after the short-lived order was lifted with a parliamentary vote.
Yoon was, however, cleared of spreading falsehoods related to the martial law declaration in press guidance, in which he claimed he “never intended to infringe upon the constitutional order.”
Both the defendant and the special counsel appealed the lower court ruling.
The court's Criminal Division 1 handling the case is one of two divisions designated to hear cases related to the martial law imposition, which was defined as unconstitutional in Yoon’s impeachment ruling and as an act of insurrection in related criminal trials.
The obstruction of arrest case is one of the eight criminal proceedings Yoon faces, including charges related to the alleged transfer of military secrets to North Korea, perjury linked to allegations of corruption involving his wife and his orders connected to the 2023 death of a Marine.
The most significant charge is leading an insurrection through the martial law declaration, for which the ousted president was sentenced to life in prison by the Seoul Central District Court in February.
Yoon's subordinates at the time, including then-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and then-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, are also standing trial for their respective roles in the martial law declaration.
Another panel, Criminal Division 12 of the Seoul High Court, is handling Han’s case. Han was sentenced to 23 years in prison by the lower court in January.
Han's appellate trial is scheduled to begin Wednesday.
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
