Sangcheol’s Legal Journal : YouLaw Insights

  🗓️ 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 : Lt. Col. Park Jin-woo (Commander, 35th Special Mission Battalion, Capital Defense Command) Maj. Kim Ui-gyu (Regional Commander, 35th Special Mission Battalion) 🔍 Key Issues and Proceedings Defendant’s Absence 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. Witness Examination Both witnesses served in the elite counter-terrorism unit dispatched to the National Assembly during the unlawful martial law of December 3. Examination focused ...

  🗓️ Hearing Overview Date & Time: Monday, August 18, 2025, 10:15 (KST) Venue: Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Division 25 ( Presiding Judge Ji Gui-yeon ) Defendant: Former President Yoon Suk-yeol (absent for the 5th consecutive time; proceedings held in absentia) Witness: Sgt. Lee Min-su , Republic of Korea Army ( Capital Defense Command ) — driver/NCO assigned to then-Commander Lee Jin-woo (command vehicle operator) 1) Key Issues & Proceedings A. In-Absentia Proceeding The court proceeded without the defendant under Criminal Procedure Act Art. 277-2 , noting that any disadvantage from non-appearance is borne by the defendant. Defense stated Yoon will appear when his health allows . 2) Witness Examination A. Witness: Sgt. Lee Min-su Affiliation: ROKA Capital Defense Command (SUBANGSA) Role at the time: Driver and executive NCO for Commander Lee Jin-woo (operated the commander’s official vehicle) Vehicle/Task: Kia Carnival co...

🗓️ Hearing Overview Date: August 11, 2025 Court: Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Division 25 (Presiding Judge Ji Gui-yeon) Defendant: Former President Yoon Suk-yeol (absent; 4th straight no-show) Witnesses: Col. Kim Young-kwon (Defense Counterintelligence, 550th Unit), Brig. Gen. Koo Sam-hoe (former Commander, 2nd Armored Brigade) 1. Key Issues and Proceedings A. Defendant’s absence → in-absentia trial Bench: Proceed under the Criminal Procedure Act without the defendant present; any disadvantage arising from in-absentia proceedings is borne by the defendant . Legal basis: Criminal Procedure Act, Art. 277-2 (Defendant’s Refusal to Appear & Trial): (1) If a detained defendant refuses to appear without just cause and escort by correctional officers is impossible or markedly impracticable , the court may proceed without the defendant present . (2) When proceeding under (1), the court must hear the views of the prosecutor and defense counsel wh...

  12th Hearing Summary – July 24, 2025 Yoon Suk-yeol Sedition Trial Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Division 25 (Presiding Judge Ji Gui-yeon) 🗓️ Overview Date : July 24, 2025, 10:15 AM Defendant : Yoon Suk-yeol (Former President) Location : Courtroom 417, Seoul Central District Court Witness : Colonel Kim Bong-gyu (ROK Defense Intelligence Command) 🔍 Key Developments Third Consecutive Absence of Yoon Suk-yeol Yoon failed to appear for the third time since his re-detention. The court initiated an investigation into whether his absences constitute unjustified refusal under the Criminal Procedure Act. The presiding judge announced that Yoon’s medical condition and his ability to be forcibly brought to court would be verified through the detention facility. Special Prosecutor Demands Arrest Warrant for Compulsory Appearance The prosecution argued that Yoon’s health claims were already dismissed during the habeas corpus hearing. They emphasized that...

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 Date : July 17, 2025 Location : Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Division 25 (Judge Ji Gu-yeon presiding) Defendant : Former President Yoon Suk-yeol (absent) 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 appearanc...

  The 10th criminal trial hearing for former President Yoon Suk-yeol was held on July 10, 2025, at the Seoul Central District Court. Marking the first hearing following his second arrest, Yoon did not appear in court, citing health reasons. Nevertheless, the court proceeded with witness examinations as scheduled, focusing on the military's controversial involvement with the National Election Commission (NEC) during the December 3 martial law crisis. 🔍 Key Developments at a Glance 1. Yoon’s Absence and Legal Tensions Yoon submitted a statement of non-attendance on the morning of the hearing, just hours after being detained at 2:07 AM. His legal team claimed the summons was not properly served and cited insufficient time for preparation. The court rejected these arguments and proceeded. The Special Counsel demanded measures to prevent repeated absences, including the issuance of a bench warrant if necessary. 2. Testimony – Col. Koh Dong-hee (former Chief of Plans, Defense Int...

 🗓️ Hearing Overview Date : July 3, 2025 Venue : Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Division 25 (Presiding Judge Ji Guyoun) Defendant : Former President Yoon Suk-yeol Witnesses : Col. Kwon Young-hwan (former Director of Martial Law Division, ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff) Col. Ko Dong-hee (former Chief of Planning, Defense Intelligence Command) 🔍 Key Issues and Testimonies 1. Legality of Special Prosecutor Case Transfer Yoon's Legal Team Argued the transfer of the case was legally void: the Special Prosecutor requested a "handover" (인계) but received a "referral" (이첩), which they claim are distinct legal actions. Asserted that under the Special Prosecutor Act, only the Prosecutor General could authorize such transfer—not the Special Investigation Headquarters. Special Prosecutor's Response Maintained that the terms "handover" and "referral" are functionally equivalent in context. Denied any procedural error...

🗓️ Trial Overview Date: June 23, 2025, 10:15 AM Location: Criminal Division 25, Seoul Central District Court (Judge Ji Gu-yeon presiding) Defendant: Former President Yoon Suk-yeol Special Prosecutor Appearance: Cho Eun-seok’s team, represented in court by Deputy Counsel Park Eok-soo Witnesses: Maj. Gen. Lee Jae-sik (Joint Chiefs of Staff, Crisis Readiness Inspector, Chief of Martial Law Secretariat) Col. Kwon Young-hwan (Former Head of Martial Law Division, JCS) 🔍 Key Issues and Proceedings 1. Special Counsel Assumes Prosecutorial Role This hearing marked the debut of the newly formed Special Counsel team, formally taking over public prosecution duties from the original prosecutors. Deputy Counsel Park sat in the lead prosecutor’s seat and requested expedited proceedings, citing the impending expiration of detention for some defendants. 2. Defense Claims Unconstitutional Abuse of Power Yoon’s legal team (Attorneys Wi Hyun-seok, Bae Bo-yoon) argued...

  🗓️ Hearing Overview Date : June 16, 2025  Location : Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Division 25 (Presiding Judge Ji Gui-yeon) Defendant : Yoon Suk-yeol, Former President of South Korea Key Witness : Kim Cheol-jin, Former Military Aide to Defense Minister 🔎 Key Developments 1. Shift in Yoon's Courtroom Demeanor Former President Yoon, who had largely remained silent in prior hearings, broke his silence during the 7th hearing. He directly addressed the bench, stating his intention to speak after future witness examinations. He criticized the prosecution’s resistance to changes in the witness plan, saying: “Is it because they lack confidence in their case?” Yoon also explained his conduct after the National Assembly passed a resolution to lift martial law, claiming that he: Respected the Assembly's intent despite procedural defects, Ordered his aides to review the National Assembly Act, Drafted a presidential statement for the martial la...

1. Trial Overview Date : June 9, 2025, 10:15 AM Court : Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Division 25 (Presiding Judge Ji Gui-yeon) Defendant : Yoon Seok-yeol (Former President of South Korea) Witness : Lee Sang-hyeon (Brigadier General, Former Commander of the 1st Airborne Brigade, ROK Army Special Warfare Command) 2. Key Proceedings A. Cross-examination of Witness Lee Sang-hyeon “Drag lawmakers out” – Order came from the President Lee reaffirmed that then-Special Forces Commander Gwak Jong-geun conveyed direct orders allegedly from President Yoon: “The President said to break the doors and drag lawmakers out.” Lee testified he relayed this command verbatim to his subordinate battalion commander, explicitly stating it was a “presidential order.” An audio recording of this instruction was played in court, further supporting Lee’s claim. Lee emphasized: “Had I only heard ‘higher command,’ I wouldn’t have described it as the President’s order.” B. De...

[May 26 Trial Recap] Orders to "Drag Out Lawmakers" at Gunpoint: Explosive Testimony and Audio Shake Up the Court On May 26, 2025 , the Seoul Central District Court held the fifth criminal trial against former President Yoon Suk-yeol , accused of leading an attempted insurrection through the illegal declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024. The proceedings revealed striking new developments, including direct military testimony and court-released audio recordings suggesting high-level coordination to forcibly remove lawmakers from the National Assembly. 🔹 Trial Overview Date: May 26, 2025 (10:15 AM) Venue: Seoul Central District Court Presiding Body: Criminal Panel Division 25 Key Attendees: Yoon Suk-yeol (Defendant, former President) Brigadier General Lee Sang-hyun (Commander, 1st Airborne Brigade, Special Warfare Command, Testifying Witness) Prosecutors and Defense Counsel Media and heightened security presence 🔹 Major Trial Dev...

🔍 Trial Overview Date : Monday, May 19, 2025 – 10:15 AM Courtroom : Criminal Division 25, Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge: JI Gui-yeon) Participants : Defendant: Yoon Suk-yeol, former President of South Korea Witnesses: Brigadier General Park Jeong-hwan (Chief of Staff, Army Special Warfare Command) Brigadier General Lee Sang-hyun (Commander, 1st Airborne Brigade) (Scheduled, not examined on this date) 🧾 Main Proceedings ✅ A. Continued Testimony by Brigadier General Park Jeong-hwan Described real-time observation of Gen. Gwak Jong-geun (former Commander of the Special Warfare Command) taking a call from a superior and replying, “We’ll break the door and go in.” Ordered troops to secure the National Assembly , following repeated urgent calls even after deployment had begun. Helicopter insertion began at 11:08 PM on Dec 3, 2024. Orders such as “Break the windows,” “Pull the lawmakers out,” “Stop the vote” were conveyed by Gen....

Hello everyone, Today’s post brings a critical update on one of the most closely watched legal proceedings in South Korea – the ongoing trial of former President Yoon Suk-yeol . On May 12, 2025 , the 3rd trial session was held at the Seoul Central District Court , attracting public and media attention due to newly revealed military testimonies that could significantly influence the outcome of the case. Let’s dive into what happened during this key session – including damaging witness statements , the defense’s reaction , and what we can expect in the next round. ⚖️ Trial Overview Date: May 12, 2025 (Monday), 10:15 AM Location: Seoul Central District Court, Criminal Division 25 (Judge Ji Gui-yeon), Room 417 Key Participants: Defendant: Former President Yoon Suk-yeol Witnesses: Captain Oh Sang-bae (former aide to the Commander of the Capital Defense Command) Brigadier General Park Jeong-hwan (Chief of Staff, Special Warfare Command) 🗣️ Testimony 1...

  👋 Introduction: When Politics and Law Collide Hello, and welcome. What happens when the timeline of politics and the timeline of justice crash into each other? In South Korea today, one name sits at the center of this collision: Lee Jae-myung , the presidential candidate from the Democratic Party. While elections are always political, the current controversy is deeply legal as well. That’s because Lee is currently facing multiple high-profile court cases — including charges related to election law and major development scandals. But it's not just the nature of the cases that matters. It's the timing . With the presidential election drawing near, the judiciary's decisions are being seen not only as legal moves — but as potential political interference . ⚖️ Trial Postponed: Why Was the Court Date Moved? Recently, the Seoul High Court postponed the first hearing in Lee Jae-myung's election law violation case. Originally set for May 15, the trial has now ...