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

Seoul (The Uttam Hindu) :  The criminal trial of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges related to his December 3 martial law imposition is set to begin later this month, legal sources said on Monday. 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 February 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 Defence 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, Yonhap news agency reported. 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 in the day, Yoon met with the leadership of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and urged them to unite together to "bring hope" for the youth and the people, officials said on Monday.

Yoon made the call during his meeting with PPP interim leader Kwon Young-se, PPP floor leader Kweon Seong-dong and Rep. Na Kyung-won at the Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, south of Seoul. "(Yoon) asked the party to unite and play a role in bringing hope for the people, including the youth in their 20s and 30s," Na told reporters after their visit. Their talks also touched on concerns about South Korea's future against the backdrop of the current international politics and global economy, she added.

On his martial law declaration, Yoon explained it was a measure taken "out of heavy responsibility" to prevent the National Assembly from effectively becoming a "one-party dictatorship" by the main opposition Democratic Party. The impeached president was formally detained on January 19 over allegations of insurrection and abuse of power related to his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3, Yonhap news agency reported.