S. Korea: Criminal trial of indicted Yoon on insurrection charges to begin Feb. 20

The criminal trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges related to his Dec. 3 martial law imposition is set to begin later this month, legal sources said Monday, Yonhap reports. 

South Korea
Photo: Yonhap

Along with an ongoing impeachment trial, Yoon has been also under criminal probe for insurrection that supersedes his presidential immunity from prosecution.

A division of the Seoul Central District Court handling Yoon's case has scheduled the first pretrial hearing for Feb. 20, according to the sources.

Yoon is not obligated to be present at the pretrial hearing as it is a procedural step conducted to review key issues and evidence before the formal trial begins.

Yoon is accused of conspiring with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others to incite an insurrection by declaring an unconstitutional and illegal state of emergency, despite the absence of any signs of war, armed conflict or a comparable national crisis.

Yoon is also alleged to have sent military troops to the National Assembly in order to keep lawmakers from voting down the martial law declaration and to have planned to arrest key political figures.

Earlier it was reported that the Seoul Central District Court last Friday assigned impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law case to one of its criminal panels. 

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