Ousted South Korean president denies all martial charges as trial begins

ANKARA

South Korea's ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday denied all charges during his second trial on martial law-related allegations, according to Yonhap News.

This was first public appearance in 85 days since his arrest in July.

Earlier in the morning, Yoon was brought from the Seoul Detention Center to the Seoul Central District Court dressed in a dark navy suit without a tie, wearing his inmate number "3617" on his chest and appearing visibly thinner.

His lawyers rejected the charges and claimed that Yoon had declared martial law in an emergency situation and lifted it following the National Assembly's vote to repeal it.

Yoon also defended himself over the alleged false proclamation, which investigators believe was drafted after the decree was lifted in a bid to legitimize his actions but was later discarded.

"I scolded (former presidential secretary Kang Eui-gu), but he said he would just hold on to it," Yoon said, referring to his former secretary Kang.

Already on trial for leading an insurrection through a failed martial law attempt last December, he now faces additional charges of violating the rights of Cabinet members, revising the martial law proclamation and obstructing his detention by investigators in January.

Prosecutors also accuse him of ordering the deletion of call records and distributing false statements.

Yoon last appeared in public on July 9 during his arrest warrant hearing.

Since July, he repeatedly refused to attend his insurrection trial or cooperate with special counsel investigators.

According to his lawyer, Yoon’s appearance in court was mandatory for the new trial to start and he will also appear in court later in the day for his bail request.

On Thursday, a South Korean court approved the live streaming of Yoon’s trial, but the court denied the special counsel’s request to televise Yoon's bail hearing.

The ex-president is also facing charges of insurrection due to the martial law decree issued in December and has been detained since his second arrest on July 10.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid