Special counsel asks court to allow broadcasts of ex-PM Han's trial

Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo/ Yonhap

A special counsel team said Friday it has asked a court to allow broadcasts of former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's trial next week over his alleged involvement in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid.

Han is scheduled to attend the trial's first hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday after being indicted late last month on charges of abetting the ringleader of an insurrection, perjury and other offenses.

"We have applied for broadcasts of the hearing on former Prime Minister Han at the Seoul Central District Court," special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team said.

Lower court hearings of cases indicted by Cho's team must be broadcast under a special counsel bill passed by the National Assembly, but the bench can make exceptions if it determines national security or public order is at risk.

The move comes after the court allowed broadcasts of Yoon's first hearing of his new martial law trial, which took place earlier Friday.