The special counsel investigating the insurrection case's sentencing request in the case charging former President Yoon Suk-yeol as the ringleader of an insurrection was postponed to the 13th. The trial ran for more than 12 hours as defense attorneys for former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun spoke at length, but Yoon's attorneys did not get a chance to make their statements.
The Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 25 (Presiding Judge Jee Kui-youn, senior judge) opened the closing arguments around 9:20 a.m. in Criminal Grand Courtroom 417 on charges that former President Yoon was the ringleader of an insurrection, and that seven members of the military and police leadership, including the former Minister Kim, engaged in important duties related to insurrection.
Judge Jee said around 9:30 p.m., about 12 hours after the trial began, that the procedure to close arguments in the case charging former President Yoon as the ringleader of an insurrection would be postponed to the 13th.
◇ Attorney Yoon Gap-geun from Yoon's side gets first chance to speak, says "we haven't even had dinner"
Judge Jee said, "It may be fairer and more efficient to let those who came prepared speak while they still have energy," adding, "Pushing ahead at 1 a.m. would hardly amount to proper arguments."
Attorney Yoon Gap-geun for former President Yoon also said, "At the current pace, by the time we finish the other defendants' (documentary evidence examinations) and get to ours, it will be around 1 a.m. I don't think it's right to handle the most important arguments for former President Yoon in this case while half-asleep at that hour." Defense attorneys for former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun and other defendants also expressed support for a postponement.
The court allowed a lunch break, but the proceedings continued without a dinner break. Around 9:20 p.m., Attorney Yoon said, "The bench must be even more tired, but we are proceeding without having had dinner. We are physically very exhausted," adding, "If it goes past 10 p.m., we won't be able to eat." As the hearing dragged on, former President Yoon at times appeared to doze off with his head bowed.
◇ Judge Jee Kui-youn says "we must conclude on Tuesday"
Before postponing the date, Judge Jee told defense attorneys for the defendants, "We must conclude on Tuesday (the 13th)." Park Eok-su, deputy special counsel from the special counsel investigating the insurrection case, said, "From our standpoint, we hoped to conclude today," adding, "A lot of time has passed and there are physical limits, so we fully understand (setting an additional date). We will follow the court's direction."
The court had originally planned to proceed with the special counsel's sentencing request after the defendants' documentary evidence examinations, followed by the defense's final arguments and the defendants' final statements. However, as the defendants' documentary evidence examinations continued for a long time and the proceedings failed to enter the argument-closing phase, the court decided to postpone.
The defendants' documentary evidence examinations did not finish because defense attorneys for the former Minister Kim spoke for so long that it evoked a National Assembly filibuster (a lawful obstruction of proceedings). The documentary evidence examination for the former Minister Kim's side took place from 9:20 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding the lunch break.
With the court's consent, the side of former Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho, who is battling blood cancer, went first with the documentary evidence examination and finished in an hour. Next, the defense for former National Office of Investigation (NOI) investigation planning and coordination officer Yun Seung-young and former National Assembly Guard Chief Mok Hyeon-tae completed their examinations in turn.
After that, the documentary evidence examination for the former Minister Kim's side resumed, and Judge Jee, upon setting an additional date, said, "We will handle only the former President Yoon's arguments at the next session and I promise we will conclude without fail."
At the start of the hearing, former President Yoon's side said they would need about six to eight hours for the documentary evidence examination. The hearing on the 13th is also expected to run quite late.
On the 13th, the next date, the plan is to conduct the documentary evidence examination for former President Yoon's side, followed by the sentencing request and final statement procedures.