Court Denies Filming Request for First Trial Date
Yoon's Side Says "Written Opinion to Be Submitted Soon"
The court is understood to be reviewing whether to allow filming in the criminal trial courtroom of former President Yoon Seok-yeol.
According to the legal community on the 16th, the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 25 (Presiding Judge Ji Gui-yeon), which is presiding over the trial on the charge of rebellion leadership against former President Yoon, requested Yoon’s side to provide their opinion on courtroom filming on the 15th. This action followed a request for courtroom filming permission submitted by the press to the court.
Accordingly, Yoon’s side is currently preparing a response to the court’s request regarding courtroom filming and is expected to submit it soon.
Previously, the court had denied media requests for courtroom filming ahead of the first formal trial on the 14th. Although some media outlets applied for permission to film in the courtroom, their applications were submitted too late, and the procedure to seek the defendant’s opinion was not completed.
However, during the first trial, the court expressed its intention to reconsider the matter through proper procedures if a request for courtroom filming is submitted later. The legal video press corps resubmitted their application on the 15th. It has been confirmed that the application referenced the cases of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017 and former President Lee Myung-bak in 2018, requesting permission for courtroom filming.
According to the Supreme Court rules on courtroom attendance and filming, the presiding judge may grant permission for filming inside the courtroom if the defendant consents. Even if the defendant does not consent, filming may be permitted if it is deemed reasonably necessary for the public interest.
In fact, courtroom filming was permitted during the first trials of former President Park Geun-hye’s state corruption case in May 2017 and former President Lee Myung-bak’s bribery and embezzlement case in May 2018.
The second trial date for former President Yoon’s case is scheduled for the 21st, during which cross-examination by Yoon’s side of prosecution witnesses Cho Seong-hyun, Commander of the 1st Security Unit of the Capital Defense Command, and Kim Hyung-gi, Commander of the 1st Special Forces Battalion of the Special Warfare Command, is expected to take place.
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