Democratic Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol Insurrection Fact-Finding Committee Criticizes Judiciary for “Special Treatment”
Calls for Disciplinary Action Against Judge Ji Guyon and Detention of Yoon Suk-yeol
Urges Prosecution to File Motion for Recusal of Judicial Panel
The Democratic Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol Insurrection Fact-Finding Committee criticized the judiciary, claiming that former President Yoon Suk-yeol is receiving “special treatment that no citizen can accept” in his criminal trial.
Democratic Party Lawmakers Hold Press Conference Ahead of Former President Yoon's Second Trial on Charges of Insurrection. Yonhap News
On the morning of April 21, Representative Choo Mi-ae and other members of the Democratic Party’s Yoon Suk-yeol Insurrection Fact-Finding Committee held a press conference in front of the Seoul Central District Court. They argued, “Yoon Suk-yeol’s shameless actions, without a single word of apology, would not be possible without the judiciary’s backing.”
Representative Seo Young-kyo stated, “After staging the first historical judicial show where days were calculated by the hour, the judiciary has now become both the lawyer and the judicial shield protecting Yoon Suk-yeol, the ringleader of the insurrection.” She added, “How can a closed-door trial, where the greatest victims?the public?are kept in the dark, be called a trial for the people?” The Seoul High Court allowed Yoon to enter and exit the courthouse via an underground parking lot in both the first and today’s trials on charges of insurrection.
The fact-finding committee insisted that disciplinary action is needed against the panel of judges overseeing Yoon’s trial. On April 14, the panel banned photography inside the courtroom during Yoon’s trial and previously decided to cancel Yoon’s detention. Representative Choo Mi-ae said, “It is incomprehensible to the public that Yoon Suk-yeol, a defendant who has completely denied the charges, incited his supporters, and committed serious crimes punishable by death or life imprisonment, is not being detained in court.” She continued, “Judge Ji Guyon, who has seriously violated the fairness, impartiality, and neutrality of the trial, must be immediately referred for disciplinary action under the Judges Disciplinary Act.”
The committee also urged prosecutors to file a motion to recuse the panel. Representative Kim Tae-sung said, “The prosecution neglected its duty by failing to appeal Judge Ji Guyon’s decision to cancel Yoon’s detention,” and insisted, “Even now, the prosecution must immediately file a motion to recuse Judge Ji Guyon’s panel and formally protest.”
The committee further emphasized the need to re-detain former President Yoon. Representative Lee Geon-tae stated, “With the Constitutional Court having confirmed serious criminal facts and ongoing concerns about evidence destruction, Judge Ji Guyon himself must resolve concerns about a fair trial by detaining Yoon Suk-yeol.” He strongly urged the panel to detain Yoon on its own initiative. Representative Choo Mi-ae added, “It has been confirmed in the media that subordinates have destroyed evidence, such as putting secret phones in a microwave. This is not just a concern about evidence destruction?it is actually happening.”
The Criminal Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Ji Guyon) began the second trial of former President Yoon, charged as the ringleader of the insurrection, at 10 a.m. on April 21. In today’s trial, Yoon’s legal team will cross-examine prosecution witnesses Cho Sung-hyun, Commander of the 1st Security Battalion of the Capital Defense Command, and Kim Hyung-ki, Commander of the 1st Special Forces Battalion of the Special Warfare Command.
Previously, at the first trial held on April 14, Yoon’s legal team delivered an opening statement and Yoon himself spoke for 93 minutes, actively denying the charges. In today’s trial, as photography of Yoon is permitted, images of him seated in the defendant’s chair will be made public for the first time.
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