The criminal trial of South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol began on Monday, April 14, in Seoul, with prosecutors accusing him of leading an insurrection by declaring martial law late last year, reports said.
The sudden move, which came on December 3, threw the country into weeks of political and social unrest. Yoon, who was removed from office earlier this month by the Constitutional Court, has denied all charges.
According to prosecutors, Yoon had no legal grounds to impose martial law and used it as a way to try and disable state institutions, especially the parliament.
His declaration was lifted just six hours later after parliamentary staff members physically stopped special operations soldiers from entering the building using barricades and fire extinguishers. Lawmakers eventually voted to reject the martial law proposal.
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Yoon has defended his actions, saying he had no intention of paralysing the country. He claimed the declaration was necessary to confront what he described as “legislative dictatorship” by the opposition, which he accused of blocking his government’s agenda.
Still, the charge of insurrection is extremely serious and could lead to life imprisonment or even a death penalty, although South Korea has not carried out executions in many years.
Wearing a dark navy suit, Yoon arrived in court on Monday in a motorcade. The trial is being held at the Seoul Central District Court.
Two senior military officers are expected to testify during the hearing. One of them, Cho Sung-hyun from the army’s capital defence command, had earlier told the Constitutional Court that he was ordered to send troops to forcibly remove lawmakers from parliament. Yoon has denied giving such an order.
The former president’s declaration of martial law shocked the country. The Constitutional Court, in its ruling, said that Yoon’s actions were a serious threat to democracy and had created chaos across society, the economy, and foreign relations. His removal from office has only deepened the political divide between conservatives and liberals in South Korea.
Yoon returned to his private residence last Friday, with many conservative supporters lining the streets to show support. Despite his impeachment and ongoing trial, he has remained defiant and promised to “stand by” his followers. The opposition Democratic Party, however, criticised him for not offering a genuine apology and called him delusional.
South Korea will now hold a snap election on June 3. It is still unclear whether Yoon will try to influence the political process. Meanwhile, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who is leading in the polls, visited a start-up developing AI chips on Monday and promised to reduce regulations and invest heavily in the tech sector.
