Former President Yoon Suk-yeol Attends Trial for Charges of Leading a Rebellion
Former President Yoon Suk-yeol, charged with leading a rebellion, was present at the second court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on the 21st, where a fierce back-and-forth occurred between Major General Cho Seong-hyun of the Army's Capital Defense Command and the defense attorneys for the former president.
The debate centered on the order to 'pull out the lawmakers' during the 'December 3 Martial Law.'
Major General Cho emphasized that an order to 'pull out the lawmakers' could not exist within military operations and retorted to a question from Yoon's defense team, "Why would such an order be given? You know very well."
Yoon's attorney, Song Jin-ho, asked, "Even if we were to pull out the lawmakers, without a plan for where to detain them or how to monitor them, they would just return to the National Assembly, right? Isn’t that an operation that cannot be done on the spur of the moment?"
In response, Major General Cho replied, "Is that an order for a military operation?" and asked rhetorically, "Would someone go and say, 'Yes, nothing is wrong'?"
He also stated, "I was given the mission to 'pull out the lawmakers,' but I called Commander Lee Jin-woo again," adding, "This is not something we can do, and we should not do it."
During the trial, the appearance of former President Yoon sitting in the defendant's seat was publicly revealed through photos and videos for the first time. This was permitted by the court on the 17th, considering the public's right to know.
Former President Yoon entered the courtroom with a calm expression, dressed in a dark blue suit and a red tie.
He is accused of inciting a rebellion for the purpose of undermining the constitution by conspiring with former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun and others to declare an unconstitutional and illegal martial law.
On January 26, he became the first sitting president to be arrested and indicted, and with the Constitutional Court's decision to dismiss him, he is now undergoing criminal proceedings as a private citizen.
Image sources: Former President Yoon Suk-yeol / News1, Major General Cho Seong-hyun of the Army's Capital Defense Command / News1
