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Key Points

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol has now missed his ninth straight court appearance in his insurrection trial. He's been in custody since July on charges related to his attempted imposition of martial law. The court continues proceedings without him as prison officials say forced attendance is impossible. Special counsel is pushing to combine trials and hold four hearings weekly to accelerate the process.

Key Points: Ex-President Yoon Absent for 9th Insurrection Trial Session

  • Yoon charged with leading insurrection and abusing power
  • Refuses trial appearances since July 10 custody
  • Court proceeding with trials in absentia
  • Special counsel requests four weekly hearings
2 min read

South Korean Ex-President Yoon absent from insurrection trial for 9th straight session

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol skips ninth consecutive insurrection trial over martial law charges as special counsel pushes for accelerated hearings.

"The defendant has voluntarily not appeared today again - Seoul Central District Court bench"

Seoul, Sep 15

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was absent from his insurrection trial for the ninth consecutive session Monday, as a special counsel team requested the court speed up proceedings by holding four hearings a week.

Yoon has been standing trial on charges of leading an insurrection and abusing his power through his botched attempt to impose martial law in December.

He has refused to appear at his trial since he was placed in custody for the second time on July 10 on charges related to the martial law bid.

"The defendant has voluntarily not appeared today again," the bench overseeing the trial at the Seoul Central District Court said. "We will proceed with the trial in absentia as the Seoul Detention Center sent notice again that it is impossible to bring him in by force."

Under the Criminal Procedure Code, a trial can proceed in the absence of the defendant in the event he refuses to attend without legitimate grounds and it is deemed impossible or significantly difficult for a prison officer to bring him in by force, Yonhap news agency reported.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team, which is tasked with investigating the martial law case, requested the court speed up proceedings by holding four hearings a week after combining the trials of Yoon and senior police officials involved in imposing the decree.

During last week's hearing, the court had said it would wrap up proceedings by December after merging the insurrection trials of Yoon, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and police chief Cho Ji-ho.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Martial law attempt? That's serious! In our country, any attempt to undermine democracy would be met with strong opposition. Hope South Korean justice prevails. Democracy is precious everywhere 🌏
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Michael C
Ninth absence? The court should consider this contempt. No matter how high-ranking, everyone must answer to the law. This sets a dangerous precedent for other nations too.
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Ananya R
While I support due process, holding four hearings a week seems excessive. Even former presidents deserve fair trial timing. The special counsel should balance urgency with justice.
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Siddharth J
Interesting to see how different countries handle political trials. In India, we've had similar high-profile cases where politicians try to delay proceedings. Justice delayed is justice denied! ⚖️
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Nisha Z
The fact that detention center says it's "impossible to bring him in by force" suggests there might be more to this story. Either way, the trial must go on. No one is above the constitution!

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