The first hearing in the treason case against ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was held on Monday (13 April). He faces specific allegations of declaring martial law to destabilize the country and leading a rebellion, according to a report by Reuters.
At the start of the hearing, prosecutors argued that Yoon failed to provide any legal justification for imposing martial law. Instead, he allegedly attempted to paralyze key state institutions, such as the parliament.
Yoon, however, denied the allegations, stating that he had no intention of disabling the government. He claimed he wanted to demonstrate to the public that the opposition had established a form of constitutional authoritarianism and was using that power to obstruct all government activities.
In December, Yoon unexpectedly announced the imposition of martial law, stating it was necessary to root out anti-state elements. However, under pressure from the opposition, he was forced to withdraw the order just six hours later.
Soon after, the parliament approved an impeachment motion against him, and a separate treason case was filed.
Two senior military officers are expected to testify against Yoon. One of them, Cho Sang-hyun from the Capital Defense Command, has already testified once, stating during the February impeachment trial in the Constitutional Court that he was ordered to deploy troops to forcibly remove opposition lawmakers from parliament following the imposition of martial law.
Yoon has denied all such claims.
In South Korea, a conviction for treason can result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty. However, the death penalty has not been carried out in the country for several decades.
Earlier this month, the Constitutional Court upheld Yoon’s impeachment and officially removed him from office. South Korea is scheduled to hold its presidential election on June 3. Many believe Yoon may still try to influence the election in some way.