Trial begins for ex-PPP floor leader over martial law involvement
Rep. Choo Kyung-ho of the main opposition People Power Party arrives at the Seoul Central District Court, Dec. 2, to attend his arrest warrant hearing. Joint Press Corps
The trial for the People Power Party (PPP)'s former floor leader Choo Kyung-ho began Wednesday on charges he helped former President Yoon Suk Yeol briefly impose martial law.
Choo of the main opposition party has been indicted on charges of playing a key role in an insurrection by changing the venue of an emergency party meeting three times on the night of Dec. 3, 2024, when Yoon declared martial law, thus obstructing lawmakers' participation in a parliamentary vote to lift the decree.
The Seoul Central District Court held the first preparatory hearing of the trial to hear the opinions of the prosecution and the defendant, and schedule future proceedings.
Choo was absent as the defendant's attendance was not required.
Choo's lawyers said they could not state their positions as they were not allowed to view the necessary documents until recently and would need until at least the first week of February to fully copy and analyze the records.
The special counsel team that investigated the case also requested an additional preparatory hearing though they noted the need to conduct the trial swiftly in consideration of the level of public interest.
The bench accepted the request and scheduled the next preparatory hearing for Feb. 9.
Choo, who was the ruling party's floor leader at the time, changed the meeting venue three times from the National Assembly to the party headquarters and vice versa after being asked by Yoon to help with his imposition of martial law, according to the special counsel team.
Due to the confusion, 90 of the 108 PPP lawmakers were absent from the vote that led to the lifting of the decree hours after it was imposed.
"The floor leader, with the largest responsibility for parliamentary operations, was the only person who was quickly able to break the will of former President Yoon to maintain martial law," the special counsel team had said in indicting Choo.
"Even after witnessing the violation of people's basic rights and the National Assembly being trampled by armed troops, he took no action."
The team earlier sought a court-issued warrant to arrest the lawmaker, but it was denied.