Hwang Kyo-ahn, who was prime minister under former President Park Geun-hye, is set to defend suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol in his criminal trial on Feb 20.
Hwang reportedly submitted the document at the Seoul Central District Court to be appointed as Yoon’s lawyer on Wednesday.
The former prime minister has aligned himself closely with Yoon, saying the president's declaration of martial law was a justified action, not insurrection, citing election fraud allegations.
“The essence of the martial law declaration was to protect the free and democratic constitutional order by implementing a search and seizure operation at the National Election Commission. Therefore, this cannot be an insurrection,” Hwang previously said in a press conference at the National Assembly in mid-December last year.
In 2020, Hwang led the United Future Party, a predecessor to today’s ruling People Power Party and suffered a landslide defeat in the parliamentary elections that year.
Later in 2022, he led an organization named the Election Justice and Anti-Corruption Army, where he often claimed that previous elections were rigged.
Hwang will serve as Yoon’s attorney at the court alongside other legal representatives, including Seok Dong-hyun, Yoon Kab-keun and Kim Hong-il.
The Seoul Central District scheduled the first preparatory hearing for Yoon at 10 a.m. on Feb. 20.
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com
