South Korean ex-Prez Yoon attends 6th hearing of insurrection trial
Seoul: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the sixth hearing of his insurrection trial Monday, appearing in public for the first time since the June 3 presidential election.
The former president walked past reporters as he entered the Seoul Central District Court but did not answer questions about his thoughts on the election or the National Assembly’s passage of special counsel bills targeting him and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon faces charges of leading an insurrection and abusing his power through his botched imposition of martial law in December and was subsequently impeached and removed from office.
An election to pick his successor was held last week, and the winner, his former opponent Lee Jae-myung, took office immediately.
Lee Sang-hyun, former head of the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade, has been summoned to take the witness stand for the second consecutive hearing.
During the last session, he testified to hearing on the day of the martial law bid that Yoon had ordered the head of the Army Special Warfare Command to drag out lawmakers from the National Assembly building even if it meant breaking down doors.
If convicted of insurrection, Yoon could be sentenced to a maximum penalty of life in prison or death.