Though unlikely, Yoon might face loss of life penalty if discovered responsible of making ready coup with final yr’s declaration of martial legislation.
South Korea’s impeached former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has denied costs of rebellion as his prison trial opened.
The ousted chief argued within the Seoul Central District Courtroom on Monday that his declaration of martial law late final yr was “not a coup d’etat”. If discovered responsible of rebellion, Yoon might be sentenced to life in jail or obtain a loss of life sentence.
Yoon was formally stripped of workplace earlier this month after being impeached and suspended by lawmakers over his December 3 martial legislation declaration.
Prosecutors opened their case by arguing that Yoon lacked the authorized grounds to declare martial legislation and accused him of attempting to paralyse state establishments resembling parliament.
“The defendant … made it inconceivable for constitutional establishments to train their authority primarily based on an illegal declaration,” the prosecution mentioned.
Yoon, who was the nation’s chief prosecutor earlier than turning into president, spent about 40 minutes refuting the allegations.
“Martial legislation shouldn’t be a coup d’etat,” the previous president mentioned. He added that he had no intention of paralysing the nation however that martial legislation was wanted to alert the folks to the actions of the bulk opposition celebration.
He mentioned that the opposition had been stonewalling the federal government by impeaching greater than 20 officers, which he noticed as a harmful threshold.
“This was a peaceable ‘message martial legislation’ to the nation… I knew this martial legislation would finish inside half a day – a day,” Yoon mentioned.
Though he had communicated this intention to then-Minister of Nationwide Defence Kim Yong-hyun, navy officers finishing up the order appeared to have overstepped it as a result of they’re used to coaching for martial legislation below completely different tips, Yoon asserted.
The martial legislation declaration, which cited the necessity to root out “antistate” parts, was lifted six hours later after parliamentary staffers used barricades and hearth extinguishers to beat back particular operations troopers attempting to enter parliament, the place lawmakers voted to reject martial legislation.
The court docket will hear witness testimonies from two navy officers referred to as by prosecutors, together with one officer who claims he was instructed by prime commanders “to pull out the lawmakers gathered within the Nationwide Meeting to carry the martial legislation”. Yoon has denied this allegation.
Consultants say Yoon’s prison trial is more likely to be a prolonged one.
“The primary verdict is more likely to be delivered round August, however the case entails round 70,000 pages of proof and quite a few witnesses. So if deemed crucial by the court docket, the trial could also be prolonged,” lawyer Min Kyoung-sic instructed the AFP information company.
If discovered responsible, Yoon would change into the third South Korean president to be discovered responsible of rebellion – after two navy leaders in connection to a 1979 coup.
Whereas he might be sentenced to loss of life, it’s extremely unlikely that sentence could be carried out since South Korea has had an unofficial moratorium on executions since 1997.
