South Korea's Yoon attends 1st hearing of criminal trial on insurrection charges

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared Thursday for the first hearing of his criminal trial on charges of leading an insurrection.

The hearing took place at the Seoul Central District Court to clarify the main disputes of the case and plan for future proceedings.

The preliminary hearing does not require the defendant's presence, but Yoon chose to attend the session.

Yoon’s legal representatives said they would outline their stance on the charges he faces at a future date, as they have yet to review all the records of the case.

The court said it would hold another preliminary hearing for the trial.

It also began a review of Yoon's request to cancel his arrest and release him.

Hundreds of Yoon's supporters gathered near the court to call for his release.

Police deployed 3,200 personnel around the court, installing barriers and lining up police buses to maintain order.

Suspended from office since Dec. 14, when parliament voted to impeach him, Yoon’s case is now before the Constitutional Court, which has up to six months to decide whether to remove him from office or to reinstate him.

He has been held at a detention center in Seoul since mid-January after being detained by investigators on insurrection charges.

With his impeachment trial at the country’s Constitutional Court nearing its final stage, Yoon was indicted last month on charges of insurrection over his short-lived martial law bid, Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.