The Seoul Central District Court on Friday afternoon ended a closed-door hearing held to review the legality of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s arrest over his attempt to declare martial law on Dec. 3, 2024.
The court is expected to decide within 24 hours of the hearing that ended at 4:15 p.m., according to Yonhap. If approved, Yoon could be released or granted bail. If the court denies Yoon’s claims, Yoon will remain in custody with no option to appeal.
The hearing at the Seoul Central District Court began at 10:15 a.m., after Yoon filed for the court review on Wednesday to determine whether his arrest was legal and should remain in place.
Yoon arrived at the court at 9 a.m., marking his first in-person court appearance since his rearrest, and was escorted straight into the holding cell in a transport vehicle with no press contact.
Yoon was rearrested at the Seoul Detention Center on July 10 — just 124 days after his release in March — after the court accepted the special counsel’s request to issue an arrest warrant against him over key charges related to his imposition of martial law, citing a risk of evidence tampering.
Since then, Yoon has refused to comply with both voluntary and forced summons procedures, citing health concerns.
In the morning, Yoon’s legal team reportedly presented a 140-slide PowerPoint presentation, arguing that criminal charges laid out in Yoon’s arrest warrant had not been substantiated and that there was no risk of evidence tampering, thereby justifying his release.
Yoon’s legal team also allegedly claimed that Yoon’s poor health conditions have prevented him from taking part in legal proceedings, which is why Yoon had chosen to appear in court to explain his condition in person.
However, the special counsel team disputed such claims.
Assistant special prosecutor Park Ji-young told reporters on Friday that they had filed a 100-page official statement to the court on Thursday and a separate 100-slide PowerPoint presentation countering Yoon’s arguments.
In response to Yoon’s health claims, Park said the special counsel had submitted a statement from the Seoul Detention Center indicating that Yoon showed “no significant mobility issues” based on a recent internal health check.
While the document was not an official medical diagnosis, Park said it included factual information that the counsel had verified with the detention center.
Led by prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, the special counsel was expected to make its presentation in the afternoon, arguing that Yoon’s detention should remain in place given the severity of the charges and the possibility that he could destroy evidence or pressure witnesses. The team was also likely to point to Yoon’s repeated refusal to comply with prior investigations.
Yoon was also expected to speak at the end of the hearing, to personally address the court to highlight his health conditions and plead for his release.
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com
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