Court allows live broadcast of ex-President Yoon's sentencing trial

▲ Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is seen in this undated file pool photo. (Yonhap)

Yoon trial-live broadcast

Court allows live broadcast of ex-President Yoon's sentencing trial

SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- A court on Wednesday allowed live broadcast of next week's sentencing trial for former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed imposition of martial law.

The Seoul Central District Court said it accepted broadcasters' request to air the verdict for Yoon, which will be delivered at a hearing at 3 p.m. on Feb. 19.

Accordingly, broadcasters will transmit live trial footage filmed with the court's own equipment, though transmission delays may occur due to technical circumstances.

Yoon was indicted in January 2025 on charges of leading an insurrection through his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024. He was accused of staging a riot with the aim of subverting the Constitution after conspiring with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others, and illegally declaring martial law in the absence of war or an equivalent national emergency.

In particular, he was charged with mobilizing troops and the police to seal off the National Assembly compound and prevent lawmakers from voting down his decree, and ordering the arrest and detention of the National Assembly speaker and the then leaders of the ruling and main opposition parties.

In the previous trial, special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team demanded the death penalty for Yoon, describing him as the ringleader of an insurrection who sought to stay in power by seizing control of the judiciary and legislature.

This will be the second time Yoon's sentencing hearing is televised live. The court permitted live broadcast of Yoon being sentenced to five years in prison on Jan. 16 on charges that included the obstruction of investigators' attempt to detain him last year.

In the same trial, the court will also deliver its verdict to former Defense Minister Kim, former Defense Intelligence Command chief Noh Sang-won, former Korean National Police Agency chief Cho Ji-ho and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief Kim Bong-sik, who were all indicted on charges of playing a key role in the alleged insurrection.

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