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Former President Yoon attends court hearing for obstruction of official duties charges

Published: 26 Sep. 2025, 11:55

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the first hearing of his trial on charges including aggravated obstruction of official duties and abuse of power at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 26. [JOINT PRESS COPRS]

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court Friday to stand trial on additional charges of aggravated obstruction of official duties brought by the special counsel probing his alleged role in a botched martial law declaration.

Yoon attended the first hearing of his case on charges including obstruction of special official duties, held at 10:15 a.m. at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul. It was his first court appearance in 85 days since his July 3 trial on charges of leading the insurrection.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol bows his head while entering the first hearing of his trial on charges including aggravated obstruction of official duties and abuse of power at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 26. [JOINT PRESS COPRS]

Wearing a navy suit without a tie, Yoon entered the courtroom with a prison badge bearing his inmate number, 3617, pinned to his chest. His hair was cropped short and had turned white, apparently without dye.

He had been restrained with handcuffs and ropes while being transferred from the detention center but entered the courtroom unshackled.

During identity confirmation procedures, Yoon stated his birth date as Dec. 8, 1960, and gave his address in the Acrovista apartment complex in Seoul. He declined a jury trial under the citizen participation system.

The former president faces several charges, including obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant, violating the deliberation and voting rights of nine cabinet ministers absent from an emergency Cabinet meeting that approved the declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, and ordering the drafting and later destruction of the martial law proclamation.

The first hearing of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's trial on charges including aggravated obstruction of official duties and abuse of power takes place at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Sept. 26. [JOINT PRESS COPRS]

Friday’s session focused on the reading of charges and opening statements, with prosecutors summarizing the indictment and Yoon’s defense team presenting its stance. A bail hearing for Yoon was scheduled immediately after the trial session.

The proceedings were permitted to be recorded and will be made available online after personal information is redacted. While the Supreme Court previously allowed the live broadcast of sentencing hearings for former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, this marks the first time a lower court trial — excluding a sentencing — will be publicly broadcast.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]