The Supreme Court will broadcast live its appeals ruling on charges that former President Yoon Suk-yeol obstructed his arrest by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO). It marks the first time a ruling by one of the court's smaller panels, rather than its full bench, will be broadcast live.
The Supreme Court's Third Division (presiding Justice Lee Suk-yeon) decided Monday to broadcast live the sentencing hearing on Yoon's charges, including obstruction of special official duties and abuse of authority, scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday. The proceedings will be filmed with the court's own equipment and transmitted to broadcasters in real time. The court accepted the broadcasting permit application filed by the insurrection special counsel team led by Cho Eun-suk on the 3rd of this month.
Because defendants are not required to attend appeals rulings, Yoon may not appear on the sentencing date.
The insurrection special counsel law states that "the presiding judge shall permit broadcasting, absent special circumstances, when requested by the special counsel or the defendant." Yoon's side had submitted an opinion opposing the broadcast, saying, "If the broadcast is permitted, there is concern that irreparable harm will occur to the right to a fair trial, personality rights and reputation."
Yoon was indicted and detained by the insurrection special counsel team in July last year on charges of mobilizing Presidential Security Service personnel in January last year to block the CIO's execution of an arrest warrant. He also faces charges of infringing on the martial law deliberation rights of nine cabinet members who could not attend the meeting, after he convened only some cabinet members to present the mere appearance of a State Council meeting when martial law was declared. He is further charged with creating a false proclamation to make it appear that martial law was carried out under a document countersigned (signed) by former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun after martial law was lifted, and then destroying the document.
The Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 1 (presiding Judge Yoon Sung-sik), the court's dedicated insurrection panel, sentenced him to seven years in prison in the second trial in April this year. That was two years longer than the five-year sentence handed down in the first trial, but less than the 10-year term sought by the special counsel team. Both Yoon's side and the special counsel team appealed, bringing the case before the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court's conclusion on the 9th of this month is the first appeals ruling on Yoon, coming about one year and seven months (583 days) after the Dec. 3 emergency martial law incident. The main case related to the emergency martial law, on charges of leading an insurrection, is undergoing its second trial at the Seoul High Court's dedicated insurrection panel. Earlier, the first trial sentenced Yoon to life imprisonment on the charge of leading an insurrection.
