Ex-President Yoon attends trial via open entrance for first time

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Monday attended his insurrection trial using the court’s open entrance for the first time.

This was the first time the former president’s arrival at a court was seen by the public, as his use of underground parking was allowed for the previous two hearings.

For the third hearing, court authorities rejected the Presidential Security Service’s request to use the underground route.

Yoon arrived at the Seoul Central District Court in a black van and walked up to the entrance expressionless, without answering reporters’ questions.

He faces charges of leading an insurrection through his failed bid to impose martial law in December.

Earlier this month, he was additionally indicted on charges of abuse of power.

Two people were summoned to testify as witnesses during Monday’s hearing.

Oh Sang-bae, former deputy commander of the Capital Defense Command, claimed he overheard Yoon’s instructions to his then boss, former Commander Lee Jin-woo, when they sat together in a car outside the National Assembly compound after Yoon declared martial law on the night of Dec. 3.

Around that time, troops were sent into the Assembly building to allegedly carry out lawmakers and stop them from voting down the martial law decree.

Oh repeated some of the allegations raised against Yoon, including that he ordered troops to enter the building by breaking down doors and firing guns if necessary.

In one phone call, Yoon ordered Lee to “keep going, since it can’t even be confirmed that there were 190 people” who voted in favor of lifting the decree.

“He suggested that even if the resolution passed, he could declare martial law a second and third time,” Oh said.

If convicted of insurrection, Yoon could be sentenced to a maximum penalty of life in prison or death.

The second witness, Park Jeong-hwan, chief of staff of the Army Special Warfare Command, is set to be questioned later in the day.