'Silent' Yoon Sukyeol Appears at Fifth Hearing... 1st Airborne Brigade Commander Testifies on Military Deployment

The Final Hearing Before the Presidential Election
Allegations Against Presiding Judge Ji Guyoun Under Investigation

Former President Yoon Sukyeol, who is on trial for charges including leading a rebellion, remained silent once again as he appeared at the fifth hearing on May 26. Since the third hearing, Yoon has been entering the courtroom through the ground-level entrance rather than the underground parking lot, but he has not responded to any questions from reporters.

Former President Yoon Sukyeol is leaving for lunch after the morning session of the fourth trial on charges of leading a rebellion and abuse of authority obstructing the exercise of rights, held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, at noon on the 19th. 2025.05.19 Photo by Joint Press Corps

The Criminal Agreement Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Ji Guyoun) began the third hearing of Yoon's rebellion case at 10:15 a.m. that day. To attend the hearing, Yoon appeared at around 9:55 a.m., dressed in a dark navy suit and a wine-colored tie. He kept his lips tightly sealed in response to reporters' questions, such as "Do you have anything to say to the public ahead of the presidential election?", "Do you still have no intention of apologizing for the illegal martial law?", "What do you think about the prosecution's request for a warrant to search the secret phone server?", and "Why did you watch the film about election fraud?". After glancing at his supporters, he smiled and proceeded directly into the courtroom.

At this hearing, Lee Sanghyun, former commander of the 1st Airborne Brigade of the Army Special Warfare Command, who deployed special forces to the National Assembly during the 12·3 Martial Law, appeared as a witness. In February, Brigadier General Lee revealed that he had received orders from former Army Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jonggeun, who conveyed Yoon's directive: "Break down the doors if necessary and drag out the lawmakers. If you need to, cut the electricity."

On the day martial law was declared, Lee ordered 269 troops to be dispatched to the National Assembly, loaded live ammunition into a command vehicle, and led the operation on site. For these actions, including charges of participating in key missions of a rebellion and abuse of authority, he was indicted without detention at the Central Regional Military Court in February.

Meanwhile, regarding the "room salon entertainment allegations" raised against Presiding Judge Ji Guyoun, the Supreme Court's Office of Ethics and Audit is currently investigating the facts, including on-site inspections and interviews with related individuals, based on information provided by the Democratic Party.

On May 22, Judge Ji submitted a written statement and supporting materials to the Supreme Court's Office of Ethics and Audit regarding his position on the allegations. According to reports, all those present in the photo released by the Democratic Party are members of the legal profession. Judge Ji reportedly claimed that it was merely a social gathering and that the entertainment allegations raised by the Democratic Party are not true.

Previously, on May 14, Kim Yongmin, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, stated at the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee plenary meeting, "I received specific reports that Judge Ji drank on several occasions at a 'room salon' where the cost per person is about 1 million to 2 million won, and that he never paid even once."

In response, Judge Ji directly refuted the claims before the start of the fourth hearing on May 19, stating, "It is not true." He said, "I usually eat pork belly and drink somaek. The allegations are not true, and I have never even thought of being entertained at such places. The court will focus on conducting a prompt and fair trial in accordance with the procedures established by law."

After Judge Ji's statement, the Democratic Party held a briefing the same day, claiming, "Judge Ji is lying," and released photos of the interior of an entertainment establishment, as well as a photo of Judge Ji sitting side by side with two companions. However, the Democratic Party did not disclose specific details such as the incurred costs, whether someone else paid, or who made the payment.