Yoon to attend 1st preliminary hearing of his criminal trial

Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend the first preliminary hearing of his criminal trial on insurrection charges this week, his lawyer said Wednesday.

The hearing is scheduled to be held at the Seoul Central District Court at 10 a.m. Thursday, concurrently with a hearing to review Yoon’s request to cancel his arrest and release him.

“President Yoon plans to attend the hearing on the request to cancel his arrest,” Yun Gap-geun, the lawyer, said in a notice to the press.

A person close to the president clarified that the two hearings will be held simultaneously.

“It’s possible he will state his position,” the person said.

Yoon has been held at a detention center since mid-January after being detained by investigators on charges of inciting an insurrection through his short-lived imposition of martial law in December.

A preliminary hearing is held to clarify the main disputes of a case and plan for future proceedings. It does not require the defendant’s attendance.

Security will be heightened around the court ahead of the proceedings, according to the compound’s management.

The Seoul District Court Complex said it plans to cordon off some entrances to the court, heighten security checks on visitors and ban the entry of all unregistered vehicles.

“There is a high probability that a large number of people will gather, given the scheduled hearings and multiple reports of assembly,” the court management said.