South Korea’s ousted Yoon to face trial over martial law: Yonhap

SEOUL – Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol will face his first criminal trial on April 14, just 10 days after being dismissed from office by the Constitutional Court, Yonhap reported, citing an unidentified source in the law industry.

Yoon is charged with leading an

attempted martial law plan in December

and will appear as a defendant at Seoul Central District Court’s Courtroom 417, where trials of past former presidents have been held, according to the report.

Under court rules, Yoon is required to attend the hearing in person but will be allowed to enter via the underground parking to avoid public exposure. No photos or video footage of him in the courtroom will be allowed.

The session will begin with a formal identity check, followed by the prosecution’s presentation of charges. Yoon’s legal team is expected to deny all allegations, consistent with its earlier statements during pretrial proceedings.

Key witnesses include two military officers who previously testified during Yoon’s impeachment hearings that they received orders to forcibly remove lawmakers under the former president’s martial law scenario.

Yoon becomes the fifth former South Korean president to stand criminal trial, following Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. BLOOMBERG