Yoon Sukyeol Fails to Appear for Eighth Consecutive 'Rebellion Trial'... Judge Ji Guiyeon Says "Hearings Will Conclude by December"

In Absentia Trial Proceeds Without Yoon
"Cases Involving Yoon Sukyeol, Kim Yonghyun, and Cho Jiho Expected to Be Consolidated"
Court Asks Both Sides to Consider Requesting Trial Broadcast

Former President Yoon Sukyeol was absent from his rebellion trial for the eighth consecutive time on September 8. The court proceeded with the trial in absentia, maintaining its stance despite Yoon's ongoing "resistance" strategy, and expressed its intention to complete the hearings for the rebellion case by December.

Former President Yoon Sukyeol is heading to Seoul Detention Center after completing the second pretrial detention hearing at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on July 9, 2025. Photo by Joint Press Corps

The Criminal Agreement Division 25 of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Ji Guiyeon, held a hearing at 10:15 a.m. on charges including leading a rebellion against former President Yoon.

The court stated, "The defendant has voluntarily failed to appear again today," and added, "A report from the detention center confirmed the same, so the trial will proceed in absentia in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Act."

According to the Criminal Procedure Act, if a detained defendant refuses to appear without just cause, and it is impossible or significantly difficult for correctional officers to bring the defendant to the courtroom, the trial may proceed without the defendant's presence. During the trial of former President Park Geunhye for the state affairs manipulation case, proceedings were also held in absentia with only her legal team and the special prosecutor present due to her absence.

Yoon had attended all hearings up to the ninth session, but since being detained on July 10, he has cited health reasons for his absence. The court had previously conducted three hearings by questioning witnesses outside of the regular schedule, but since the hearing on August 11, it announced that the trial would proceed in absentia if the defendant continued to be absent. In this case, the defendant must accept the risk of being disadvantaged in the trial, including issues such as agreeing to the contents of the evidence examination.

In Response to Criticism Over Delays, Chief Judge Ji Says, "Doing Our Best... Will Conclude by December"

Before proceeding with the hearing, the court provided an update on the status of the rebellion case. This move appears to be in response to criticisms from some quarters that the trial is being delayed, with the court explaining the procedures and outlining its future plans in detail.

Chief Judge Ji Guiyeon is speaking about the media disclosure before the trial of former President Yoon Seokyeol on charges of leading a rebellion, held on the morning of the 21st in Courtroom 417 at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul. 2025.04.21 Photo by Joint Press Corps

Chief Judge Ji stated, "This court is currently handling three rebellion cases simultaneously: those of defendant Yoon Sukyeol, defendant Kim Yonghyun, and defendant Cho Jiho. We are holding rebellion trials three times each week, and on other days, we are also handling other major cases. We are doing our utmost to proceed with this case within the time and resources available to us."

He continued, "As of today, we have held nearly 60 hearings for these three cases, and we plan to hold more than 50 additional hearings by December of this year. We expect to consolidate the cases and conclude the hearings as a single case in the future." He added, "If the special prosecutor and the defense cooperate smoothly, we expect to complete the hearings around the scheduled date in December."

Regarding the possibility of broadcasting the rebellion special prosecutor trial, Chief Judge Ji said, "Since there is ongoing public debate about broadcasting this trial, I suggest both the special prosecutor and the defendant's side consider whether to request a broadcast. If such a request is made, the court will review it." According to the Special Prosecutor Act for Rebellion, "If the presiding judge receives a request from the special prosecutor or the defendant, the broadcast must be permitted unless there are special circumstances."

However, he noted, "If the trial is to be broadcast, it is expected that time will be needed to prepare the necessary personnel and facilities. Please take this into consideration as well."