Former President Yoon's Third Trial on Insurrection Charges
Testimony on Phone Calls Between Yoon and Lee Jinwoo
Oh Sangbae: "Yoon Said, You Can Declare Martial Law a Second or Third Time"
Next Trial Scheduled for 10:15 a.m. on the 19th
Prosecution Notifies Kim Keonhee of Summons for the 14th
Former President Yoon Seokyeol, who is on trial on charges including leading an insurrection, made his first public appearance at the third trial session on the 12th. Unlike the previous two trials, Yoon entered the courtroom after passing through the photo line set up in front of the court. However, he remained silent, not answering any questions from the press either upon arrival or when leaving the court.
Former President Yoon Seokyeol, who was indicted on charges including leading an insurrection related to the December 3 emergency martial law incident, is leaving the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, after the morning session of the third trial held on the 12th. 2025.05.12 Photo by Joint Press Corps
The Criminal Agreement Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Ji Guyoun) held the third trial for Yoon's insurrection case starting at 10:15 a.m. on this day. When Yoon left the second-floor west entrance of the Central District Court at around 6:53 p.m. after the trial, he did not respond to questions from reporters, such as whether he directly ordered the removal of lawmakers as a witness testified, or whether he intended to apologize for declaring emergency martial law. He also remained silent and immediately got into his car when asked whether he still considered the impending summons and investigation of his wife, Kim Keonhee, over alleged nomination interference to be a political attack. When Yoon arrived at the court at around 9:54 a.m. to attend the trial, he entered the building with a stern expression, lips tightly closed, and eyes fixed straight ahead.
During the trial, testimony was heard from Oh Sangbae, a former aide-de-camp (captain) to the former commander of the Capital Defense Command. Oh, who rode in the same vehicle as former commander Lee Jinwoo during the emergency martial law, gave detailed testimony about four phone calls between Yoon and Lee. In particular, Oh testified that during the December 3 emergency martial law incident, he heard Yoon tell Lee, "Even if the resolution to lift martial law passes, you can declare martial law a second or third time." In the second call, when Lee said, "There are too many people, I can't get in," Yoon allegedly responded, "Go into the main chamber and have four people each carry one person out." Regarding the third call, Oh stated, "I remember Yoon saying something to the effect of, 'Break down the door and go in, even if you have to shoot,'" and added, "I thought, 'This is really wrong.'"
When asked why his statements in the second investigation differed from those in the first, Oh explained, "Until then, I thought Yoon was doing the right thing legally, but attorney Seok Donghyun said things that were different from what I knew, so I felt I had to help reveal the truth." He also said he felt "a kind of betrayal" when attorney Seok stated, "Yoon never told you to use the word 'arrest,' never even mentioned the word 'arrest.'"
Yoon's legal team questioned the credibility of Oh's testimony. They asked Oh, "You don't have better hearing than others, do you?" and "Is it possible to remember such details when calls were coming in constantly?" They suggested it was unusual for Oh to recall such specifics, given that he did not speak directly with Yoon but overheard Lee's conversation from about one meter away. In response, Oh insisted, "It was the first time I heard a call with Yoon, so it especially stuck in my memory."
From around 5:25 p.m., the prosecution questioned Park Junghwan, chief of staff of the Special Warfare Command (brigadier general), as a witness. Park testified that during the emergency martial law, he saw former Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jonggeun receive what appeared to be an urgent call about helicopter deployment from someone. However, the questioning was not completed and will continue at the next session. Yoon's next trial is scheduled for May 19 at 10:15 a.m. On that day, Lee Sanghyun, former commander of the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade and a prosecution witness, will take the stand.
Meanwhile, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, which is investigating allegations of nomination interference by Yoon and his wife, is reported to have sent a summons to Kim Keonhee, requesting her to appear on the 14th as a suspect in an election law violation case. Kim is also under investigation by prosecutors in connection with other cases, including the "Geonjin Bopsa lobbying allegations" and the "Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation allegations."
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