When he briefly imposed martial law in December, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol made an appearance in court for a preliminary hearing on allegations he was trying to stoke a rebellion.
Discussions around witnesses and other preparations were part of the hearing, which took place on Thursday at the Seoul Central District Court, where security was increased as dozens of his supporters rallied nearby.
Yoon’s attorneys’ request to halt his arrest and release him from custody will also be reviewed by the court.
In the first instance of a sitting president being deposed by police in South Korea, Yoon was taken into custody on January 15 after a week-long standoff at his residential compound.
In a television address on December 3, Yoon declared martial law, claiming that the shock decision was intended to “protect a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to get rid of antistate elements.”
Before lawmakers in the National Assembly voted it down and declared the martial law, thousands of angry protesters took to the streets to protest the decision.
Yoon was indicted on January 26 on suspicion of staging a rebellion and of attempting to detain and arrest politicians and election officials, according to Yoon’s accusations.
Presidents of South Korea are protected from the majority of criminal charges, but there is a restriction for those accused of treason or rebellion. If convicted, Yoon faces a potential punishment of death or life in prison.
Yoon’s defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, as well as the national police chief Cho Ji-ho and several military commanders have also been arrested and indicted on rebellion, abuse of power and other charges related to the decree.
While short-lived, Yoon’s martial law declaration has plunged the country into political turmoil.
Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended and removed by the National Assembly on December 14 with a landslide.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court is currently weighing whether to officially remove Yoon from office or dismiss the motion and reinstate him in a parallel impeachment trial to Yoon’s criminal case.
Al Jazeera correspondent in Seoul, Rob McBride, said that should the court uphold Yoon’s impeachment, South Korea will hold elections within 60 days.
“This drama continues, and of course, the country remains in a kind of diplomatic limbo”, McBride said outside the Seoul court where Yoon’s trial is taking place.
“The country’s acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has not even spoken on the phone with]United States President] Donald Trump, the leader of South Korea’s most important ally”, he added.
Yoon’s vocal supporters have criticized the legal action being taken against him, including the hundreds of rioting at the Seoul Western District Court last month after it authorized his arrest.
Source: Aljazeera
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