Court delays final hearing in trial of ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol, second row far left, indicted on charges of leading an insurrection related to the declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, and seven other defendants — including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, front row second from left, accused of playing key roles in the insurrection — attend the final hearing in courtroom 417 of the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

The Seoul Central District Court said Friday that it would postpone the final hearing in the insurrection case against former President Yoon Suk Yeol until Tuesday.

The court had planned to proceed Friday with the defense’s review of documentary evidence, followed by sentencing demands from the special counsel, final arguments by defense lawyers and closing statements from each defendant. But despite the session beginning at 9:20 a.m., the defense had not completed its review of the evidence, even after more than 12 hours.

Yoon’s legal team said the volume of case materials had increased after the special counsel recently amended the indictment, requiring at least six additional hours of review and making it impractical to conclude arguments that day. The court set the next hearing for Tuesday, when it plans to complete the defense’s review of the evidence before proceeding to sentencing requests and final statements.

During Friday’s hearing, the court said it would be fairer and more efficient to allow those who had prepared to speak while they still had the energy to do so, adding that proceedings extending into the early hours of the morning would make it difficult to ensure that arguments were properly presented.

Yoon is charged with conspiring with the former defense minister and others to subvert the Constitution by illegally declaring martial law in December 2024, despite the absence of war or a comparable national emergency.

Yoon’s defense team also argued that it would be inappropriate for him to present his most critical arguments in the early hours of the morning.

“Given the current schedule, we expect it would be around 1 a.m. by the time other defendants complete their document reviews and it becomes our turn,” a defense lawyer said. “It would not be appropriate to deliver the most important part of his defense in this case while barely conscious.”

Lawyers for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and the other defendants also voiced their support for postponement.

The session also marked the final hearing in the insurrection trials of useven others, including Kim and former National Police Agency chief Cho Ji-ho, who are accused of playing key roles in the imposition of martial law.