Seoul, Oct 20 — Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol did not show up for the 15th straight court session in his insurrection trial on Monday.
The judges at Seoul Central District Court carried on the hearing even though Yoon’s lawyers confirmed he still refuses to attend. The court said the Seoul Detention Centre could not force him to appear. He was taken into custody again in July, months after his first arrest earlier this year.
Yoon faces charges of sparking an insurrection and abusing power when he tried to impose martial law after the January 2024 protests. He failed to enforce the ban on the National Assembly on Dec. 3, leading to his second arrest.
He did attend the first hearing of his martial‑law trial in September and also answered questions when he requested bail. But since July he has ignored every summons from investigators that cover accusations against him and his wife, Kim Keon‑hee.
Today’s session was set to hear testimony from Col. Kim Hyun‑tae, the former head of the Army Special Warfare Command’s 707th Special Mission Group. Kim says he was ordered to lock down and secure the National Assembly after Yoon declared martial law.
On Oct. 15, Yoon voluntarily appeared before a special counsel team and answered a few questions. After that, investigators executed a warrant to bring him in by force, according to assistant special counsel Park Ji‑young. Although he was questioned at special counsel Cho Eun‑suk’s office, Yoon chose to remain silent.
His legal team released a statement saying Yoon “answered fully during the first and second rounds of questioning but now refuses to testify further.” They also noted he was questioned twice in June and July before his second arrest on July 10.
The trial is a key event in South Korea’s political story this year, as the country watches how the former president’s case unfolds.
Source: ianslive
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