A court rejected former President Yoon Suk-yeol's request for bail to stand trial without detention. As a result, Yoon will continue to stand trial in custody.

Former President Yoon Suk-yeol appears at the first trial on charges including obstruction of official duties and abuse of power at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, Seoul, on the 26th. It is the first time his image is shown in a criminal courtroom in about five months since the April trial on the insurrection case. /Courtesy of News1

The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 35 (presiding judge Baek Dae-hyun) on the 2nd rejected the bail request by former President Yoon, who is charged with obstructing special official duties, among other counts. Explaining the reason for the rejection, the bench said, "It is recognized that there are grounds under Article 95, Item 3 of the Criminal Procedure Act (concern over destruction of evidence), and it is not recognized that there are sufficient reasons to grant bail as set forth in Article 96 of the same law." Article 96 of the Criminal Procedure Act provides that "notwithstanding the provisions of Article 95 of the same law (cases in which bail is not permitted), if it is deemed that there are sufficient reasons, the court may grant bail ex officio or upon request."

Earlier, Yoon was detained in Jan. on charges including leading an insurrection, but was released in Mar. after the court canceled his detention. He then stood trial without detention. The case involving the charge of leading an insurrection was indicted by prosecutors.

Yoon was detained again on Jul. 10. When the special prosecutor for the insurrection case requested an arrest warrant on charges including obstructing special official duties, the court issued it. Yoon then requested a detention validity review, but the court rejected it. He has since stood trial while being held at the Seoul Detention Center.

Afterward, Yoon did not appear for the insurrection trial, citing "deteriorating health." Then, ahead of the first hearing on the charge of obstructing special official duties on the 19th of last month, he requested bail from the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 35, which is hearing the case.

Appearing at the bail hearing held on the 26th of last month, Yoon personally explained the grounds for his bail request for about 18 minutes. He said, "After being detained, merely surviving in a 1.8-pyeong cell was hard," and added, "The reason I requested bail is to participate in the judicial process one way or another."

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