Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will go on trial on April 14 on charges of sedition. He will be tried for his brief declaration of martial law in December 2024. The trial will begin 10 days after he was removed from office, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Yoon will be the fifth former president to stand trial.
He will reportedly be allowed into the courtroom through an underground parking lot, and the court has taken security measures to prevent possible protests outside the building. At the same time, his photo or video recording in the courtroom is not allowed.
The hearing will begin with a formal identity check of Yoon. Then, prosecutors will bring charges against Yoon, who is expected to deny them. The former president may also ask the judge to give him the opportunity to present his version of events.
If found guilty, Yoon could face life in prison or the death penalty.
Cho Sung-hyun, commander of the First Security Group of the Capital Defense Command, and Kim Hyung-ki, chief of the First Special Forces Battalion of the Special Operations Command, will testify on Monday.
During Yoon's impeachment trial in the Constitutional Court, Cho testified that then-Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo ordered him to send troops to "pull out" lawmakers from the National Assembly after Yoon declared martial law on December 3.
Kim is believed to have received a similar order from his superior that same night.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, martial law was declared by Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3, 2024, due to "anti-state activities" by the opposition, which he accused of supporting North Korea.
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