Yoon Sukyeol Requests Bail from Court Handling Additional Insurrection Special Prosecution Charges: "Guaranteeing Substantive Defense Rights"

Re-arrested by Special Prosecutor for Insurrection in July
First Trial for Additional Charges Set for the 26th

Former President Yoon Sukyeol has requested the court to allow him to stand trial without detention, citing the need to guarantee his right to a substantive defense and health reasons.

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

According to the legal community on September 22, Yoon’s legal team filed for bail on September 19 with the Criminal Agreement Division 35 of the Seoul Central District Court (Presiding Judge Baek Daehyun), which is handling the additional charges brought by Special Prosecutor Cho Eunseok’s team for obstruction of special official duties. The date for the bail hearing has not yet been set.

Previously, Yoon was detained on charges of leading an insurrection, but was released in March after the court canceled his detention. However, he was detained again in July when the special prosecutor’s team requested a new arrest warrant.

The special prosecutor’s team indicted Yoon on charges of violating the constitutional rights of nine cabinet members who were unable to attend the cabinet meeting before the declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, by only partially convening the meeting for the sake of appearances. This allegedly infringed upon their constitutional authority to deliberate and decide on martial law.

He is also accused of creating a false martial law proclamation after the lifting of martial law and destroying this document, which is classified as a presidential record and official government document. Additional charges include ordering the deletion of secure phone communication records in preparation for the investigation and instructing the Presidential Security Service to prevent the execution of an arrest warrant by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

The first trial date for the newly indicted case is scheduled for September 26.

Since his re-arrest, Yoon has refused to comply with both the special prosecutor’s summons and the court proceedings, maintaining a strategy of resistance. He has failed to appear for ten consecutive hearings as of September 19 in the trial for leading an insurrection and abuse of authority, which is being heard by Criminal Agreement Division 25 of the same court (Presiding Judge Ji Guyoun).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.