🗓️ Trial Overview

Date & Time: August 28, 2025 (Thursday), 10:15 AM
Venue: Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Division 25
Presiding Judge: Chief Judge Ji Kwi-yeon
Defendant: Former President Yoon Suk-yeol — absent for the sixth consecutive session. The court declared proceedings in absentia.
Witnesses:
1. Lt. Col. Park Jin-woo (Commander, 35th Special Mission Battalion, Capital Defense Command)
2. Maj. Kim Ui-gyu (Regional Commander, 35th Special Mission Battalion)

🔍 Key Issues and Proceedings

The detention facility informed the court that forced attendance (“inch’i”) was “not feasible and considerably difficult.”
The court proceeded under Article 277-2 of the Criminal Procedure Act, allowing trial in the defendant’s absence.

Both witnesses served in the elite counter-terrorism unit dispatched to the National Assembly during the unlawful martial law of December 3.
Examination focused on whether the unit exercised force against civilians or lawmakers.
Maj. Kim stressed: “Soldiers are bound to minimize contact with civilians and prohibited from coercion.” He testified that no physical violence or threats were committed.

Earlier sessions were conducted as “off-schedule evidentiary hearings.”
Due to Yoon’s continued absence, the court has shifted fully to in absentia proceedings.

2. Witness Testimonies

Background: Led a detachment of the 35th Special Mission Battalion, directly deployed to the National Assembly.
Testimony Highlights:
- Deployment Orders: On December 3, led an advance team of six, departing 23:10 → arrived Yeouido Park 23:45. Orders from then-Commander Lee Jin-woo: “Leave firearms and ammunition in vehicles, deploy unarmed, and carry out control duties.”
- Entry into Assembly Grounds: Unable to enter via the main gate due to crowds; the team scaled a wall to enter the compound. Testified they never entered the main building.
- Order Interpretation: Received directive to “control all personnel,” which he understood as allowing only authorized persons while blocking others.
- Lawmakers’ Safety: Denied any order to arrest lawmakers. Instead, recalled instructions from Col. Cho Sung-hyun (1st Guard Regiment) to “secure a safe passage for lawmakers.”
- Weapons & Force: Confirmed soldiers wore only helmets and vests, leaving rifles behind. Emphasized no physical force was exercised, though they faced verbal abuse, shoving, and attempts to grab communication gear from civilians.
- On Blank Ammunition: Noted that blank rounds are for training, not real operations: “I even asked why they were being packed.”

Background: Overall commander of the 35th Special Mission Battalion detachment at the Assembly.
Testimony Highlights:
- Armament Status: Reconfirmed that all firearms and ammunition were left in vehicles; only protective gear was worn.
- Withdrawal Sequence: After leaving the Assembly, troops regrouped at Yeouido Park parking lot → moved to National Cemetery vicinity for standby → returned to base upon orders.

Prosecution / Special Counsel: Sought to establish that the deployment of armed forces to the National Assembly under martial law constituted acts of insurrection, regardless of actual violence. Focus on chain of command and intent.
Defense: Highlighted testimonies emphasizing non-violence, unarmed posture, and safety of lawmakers, seeking to negate elements of coercion or force.

July 10, 2025 — Yoon re-arrested; begins consistent non-appearance in court.
August 11, 2025 — Court confirms shift to in absentia proceedings.
August 28, 2025 — Sixth consecutive absence; testimony from two battalion officers of the 35th Special Mission Unit.