The Seoul High Court’s Criminal Division 12-1 held the first pretrial hearing in Yoon’s case that day.
Proceedings also began for seven senior military and police officials indicted with him, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and former National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho.
Defendants are not required to attend pretrial hearings. Yoon did not appear in court. Among the defendants, only former National Police Agency National Investigation Headquarters planning and coordination director Yoon Seung-young and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency National Assembly Security Unit chief Mok Hyun-tae attended.
Before moving forward, the panel referred to requests by Yoon and others for a constitutional review of the law applied to the proceedings.
On the 21st, the defense asked the court to seek a constitutional ruling on the Special Act on Criminal Procedure for insurrection, foreign aggression and rebellion cases, arguing that the special division set up under the act is unconstitutional.
The court said it will continue the pretrial process on May 7, when it plans to detail the order and method for examining evidence.
In the first trial, Yoon was sentenced to life in prison. Kim was sentenced to 30 years in prison; former Defense Intelligence Command chief Noh Sang-won to 18 years; Cho to 12 years; former Seoul police chief Kim Bong-sik to 10 years; and Mok to three years.
Former Third Field Army Command military police chief Kim Yong-gun and Yoon Seung-young were acquitted.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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