A separate criminal trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been indicted on charges of insurrection, is to begin on Feb. 20.
The Seoul Central District Court said on Monday it had scheduled the first preparatory hearing for Yoon for 10 a.m. on Feb. 20. The preparatory hearing discusses how the trial is to proceed. Defendants are not obligated to appear in court, but Yoon will likely be facing two trials at the same time, as his impeachment case continues with the Constitutional Court.
Though the prosecution attempted to continue its investigation after receiving the case from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials on Jan. 23, it did not have the chance to question him, as the court dismissed two consecutive requests from the prosecution on Jan. 24 and 25 seeking to extend the arrest warrant.
Prosecutors chose to indict the president on Jan. 26.
The court on Friday assigned Yoon’s case to the same division as is tasked with other cases in regard to the martial law imposition, including those of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, suspended Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho, former chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Kim Bong-sik, former Defense Intelligence Command chief Noh Sang-won and the DIC's Col. Kim Yong-gun.
The five high-ranking military and police officials were indicted under detention on charges of insurrection and abuse of power in connection with the short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024.
The first preparatory hearing for police leaders Cho and Kim will take place at 10 a.m. Thursday, followed by first preparatory hearings of former DIC officials Noh and Kim at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
The ex-defense minister, who has already appeared in his first preparatory hearing at the court, is set for his second preparatory hearing at 4 p.m. on Thursday as well.
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com
