[Trial Recap] 11th Hearing in Sedition Trial of Yoon Suk-yeol (July 17, 2025)
The 11th hearing in the high-profile sedition trial of former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was held on July 17, 2025. The trial continues amid rising controversy over Yoon’s repeated absences and intensifying testimony about the alleged military intervention plots during his presidency.
🗓️ Hearing Overview
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Date: July 17, 2025
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Location: Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Division 25 (Judge Ji Gu-yeon presiding)
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Defendant: Former President Yoon Suk-yeol (absent)
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Witness: Jeong Sung-woo, former Director of Counterintelligence (Defense Security Command)
🔍 Key Issues and Testimony
1. Defendant’s Continued Absence
Yoon Suk-yeol again refused to appear in court, citing deteriorating health and challenging the constitutionality of the Special Prosecutor’s Office. His legal team claimed that these circumstances justified his absence.
However, the Special Prosecutor's team strongly urged the court to consider issuing a warrant for compulsory appearance, emphasizing concerns over prolonged absenteeism. The court warned that further absences could lead to coercive measures.
2. Server Seizure Order – “Presidential Instruction”
Witness Jeong Sung-woo reiterated his previous testimony that on December 3, 2024, at 10:50 p.m., his superior Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung issued an order to seize the National Election Commission’s server, explicitly citing instructions from the President and Defense Minister.
Jeong testified that he delayed the order due to concerns of unconstitutionality and instructed the legal office to review it first. He emphasized that such military action against civilians risked repeating the tragedy of May 18 (Gwangju Uprising), a caution deeply rooted in South Korea’s democratic consciousness.
⚖️ Courtroom Dynamics
Yoon’s legal team invoked the example of former President Park Geun-hye’s absentee trial, but the presiding judge dismissed the comparison as inappropriate under the current circumstances.
Critics pointed out that Yoon had appeared early for his detention review hearing held earlier the same week, casting doubt on his “health deterioration” claim.
🔁 Clash of Positions
| Issue | Yoon’s Defense | Special Prosecutor / Witness |
|---|---|---|
| Trial Attendance | Health and constitutionality concerns | Request for arrest warrant; court warning |
| Server Seizure | Framed as technical inspection | Clear presidential chain of command; resisted execution due to legality concerns |
📌 Key Timeline Recap
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2024.12.03 | Martial law declared (origin of sedition case) |
| 2024.12.14 | National Assembly passes impeachment motion |
| 2024.12.18/25/29 | Yoon refuses Corruption Office summons (3 times) |
| 2024.12.31 | Arrest warrant issued |
| 2025.01.03 | First arrest attempt fails (residence standoff) |
| 2025.01.15 | Yoon arrested |
| 2025.01.19 | Detention approved at 3 a.m. |
| 2025.01.26 | Indicted by Special Investigation HQ |
| 2025.03.07 | Detention ruled unlawful, Yoon released |
| 2025.04.04 | Constitutional Court upholds impeachment |
| 2025.04.11 | Yoon formally vacates presidential residence |
🧾 Hearings Summary
1st Hearing (2025.04.14)
Closed-door session for security reasons.
Yoon gave a 93-minute lecture-like speech targeting prosecutors and the bench.
2nd Hearing (2025.04.21)
Witnesses: Col. Cho Sung-hyun, Lt. Col. Kim Hyung-ki.
Testified they refused unlawful orders to storm parliament.
3rd Hearing (2025.05.12)
Witnesses: Capt. Oh Sang-bae, Brig. Gen. Park Jung-hwan.
Testified Yoon gave orders to “shoot through doors” and “declare martial law multiple times.”
4th Hearing (2025.05.19)
Brig. Gen. Park stated he heard Maj. Gen. Kwak shouting “Break down the doors” and “Drag them out.”
Presented Kwak's handwritten notes from the night of the incident.
5th Hearing (2025.05.26)
Witness: Brig. Gen. Lee Sang-hyun.
Said Kwak ordered raids on the National Assembly and DP headquarters on Yoon’s instruction.
Quoted Kwak relaying Yoon's words: “Use an axe to break in and drag them out.”
6th Hearing (2025.06.09)
Lee reaffirmed the order came directly from President Yoon.
Related audio was played in court.
Yoon appeared wearing a pink-patterned tie, remained silent throughout.
7th Hearing (2025.06.19)
Brig. Gen. Kim Chul-jin testified he heard Yoon say, “You should’ve sent 1,000 troops.”
Prosecutors claimed it proved intent to escalate martial enforcement.
8th Hearing (2025.06.23)
Prosecutors called for expedited trial due to detention timing.
Witnesses: Brig. Gen. Lee Jae-sik and Col. Kwon Young-hwan.
Both emphasized that “preventive martial law is impossible” and political rights can't be suspended.
9th Hearing (2025.07.03)
- Dispute over legality of Special Counsel’s authority, focusing on distinction between “handover” and “transfer.”
- Witnesses: Col. Kwon Young-hwan and Col. Koh Dong-hee.
- Col. Kwon criticized the martial law decree’s unusual focus on doctors; Col. Koh described server room seizure and expressed moral unease.
10th Hearing Summary (2025.07.10)
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Yoon Suk-yeol was absent from court for the first time, citing health issues and challenging the constitutionality of the Special Prosecutor.
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Prosecutors pushed for a warrant of compulsory appearance, warning against prolonged absence.
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Key witness Jeong Sung-woo (former Defense Counterintelligence Director) testified that the order to seize the Election Commission server came directly from the President and Defense Minister on December 3, 2024, at 10:50 p.m.
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Jeong stated he paused execution due to constitutional concerns, fearing it might mirror the 5.18 Gwangju military abuse.
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The court noted inconsistencies in Yoon’s health excuse, as he had appeared early for a detention review earlier that week.
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