‘Insurrection trial’ ends, but six remaining cases against Yoon now move into full swing

According to Financial News, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was at the center of the "December 3 emergency martial law" case and has been sentenced to life in prison as the "ringleader of an insurrection," is now expected to see his remaining criminal trials move into full gear. Courts are already hearing cases over allegations that a military drone was sent into Pyongyang, North Korea, as well as claims of interference in the investigation into the death of Marine Corporal Chae during flood rescue operations. In addition, trials are set to begin in earnest over allegations that political broker Myung Tae-gyun provided free opinion polls to Yoon in exchange for nominations, and that former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup was helped to flee by being appointed ambassador to Australia. With the appeals trial in the "obstruction of arrest" case also scheduled to begin on the 23rd, a series of verdicts involving the former president is expected in the coming months.
According to the legal community on the 19th, Yoon is scheduled to appear on the 23rd for the 10th hearing in his general aiding-the-enemy case, to be heard by the 36th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Lee Jung-yeop.
In that case, prosecutors allege that Yoon orchestrated a drone incursion into Pyongyang, North Korea, in 2024 to manufacture a pretext for declaring the December 3 emergency martial law and to stir up anti-North Korean sentiment. Citing "military secrets," the court is currently conducting the proceedings behind closed doors.
The perjury case related to the trial of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is also set to begin in earnest in April. Yoon has been indicted on charges of giving false testimony as a witness in Han’s trial on participation in an insurrection, by claiming that a Cabinet meeting had been planned even before Han submitted his recommendation, when that was allegedly not true. The 32nd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Ryu Kyung-jin, plans to conclude the preparatory hearing on the 26th and then move into full trial proceedings from April.
The case involving alleged interference in the investigation into the death of Marine Corporal Chae during flood rescue operations is expected to enter full trial after a final preparatory hearing on the 4th of next month. In that case, prosecutors claim that, following the corporal’s death and reports that the "VIP" had been enraged, the Office of the President of South Korea and the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea worked to cover up the investigation. The Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Team, led by Special Prosecutor Lee Myung-hyun, believes Yoon exerted pressure to alter the findings of the Marine Corps investigative unit that handled the case. A separate trial over allegations that former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup was appointed Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Australia to facilitate his escape is also set to begin next month.
The 33rd Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Judge Lee Jin-gwan, which recently sentenced former Prime Minister Han to 23 years in prison, will next month begin substantive hearings on allegations that political broker Myung Tae-gyun provided free opinion polls to Yoon. Prosecutors say Myung supplied polling services to Yoon at no cost and then demanded a nomination in return. However, in the first-instance ruling for First Lady Kim Keon Hee, who was also implicated in the same allegations, the court found this particular matter not guilty. Attention is therefore focused on whether Yoon will likewise be acquitted on this charge.
Separately, a case in which Yoon is charged with violating the Public Official Election Act by falsely stating during his presidential campaign that he had never met shaman Gun Jin, whose real name is Jeon Sung-bae, is expected to begin after the regular nationwide reshuffle of judges. With appeals also underway in the "obstruction of arrest" and "insurrection ringleader" cases, Yoon is expected to spend virtually every weekday in court, apart from weekends.
theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo and Choi Eun-sol Reporter