Former President Yoon Suk Yeol sits in the defendant's seat at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu during the first-instance sentencing hearing on charges including obstruction of official duties, aiding a fugitive and abuse of authority, on Jan. 16 last year. [Provided by Seoul Central District Court]
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol sits in the defendant's seat at Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu during the first-instance sentencing hearing on charges including obstruction of official duties, aiding a fugitive and abuse of authority, on Jan. 16 last year. [Provided by Seoul Central District Court]

The Supreme Court will livestream the sentencing hearing for former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of obstruction of official duties and related offenses on Thursday — the first time an appeal ruling in a case brought by any of the three special prosecutor teams has been broadcast live.

The Supreme Court's Third Division, presided over by Justice Lee Suk-yeon, decided to livestream the sentencing scheduled for 2 p.m. Thursday, Yonhap News Agency reported Tuesday.

The court accepted a broadcast request filed Friday by the insurrection special prosecutor team led by Cho Eun-seok. The hearing will be filmed using the court's own equipment and transmitted to broadcasters in real time.

It is the first time a Supreme Court appeal sentencing in any case brought by the three special prosecutor teams — covering insurrection, first lady Kim Keon Hee and the death of a Marine — has been broadcast live. It is also the first time in history that a live broadcast has been permitted for a sentencing by a small division of the Supreme Court, rather than the full bench.

Yoon's legal team objected, arguing that allowing a broadcast "could cause irreparable harm to the right to a fair trial, personal rights and reputation," but the court rejected the objection.

The insurrection special prosecutor act stipulates that a presiding judge must grant a broadcast request from either the special prosecutor or the defendant unless there are special circumstances.

Yoon was indicted in detention last July by the insurrection special prosecutor team on charges of using Presidential Security Service personnel to obstruct the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials' execution of an arrest warrant against him in January last year.

He also faces charges of violating the deliberation rights of nine Cabinet members who were unable to attend a Cabinet meeting convened before the martial law declaration, with only select ministers summoned to create the appearance of a proper Cabinet session.

Additional charges include fabricating a false martial law proclamation — purportedly countersigned by then-Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and then-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun — after martial law was lifted, and subsequently destroying it.

The Seoul High Court's insurrection-dedicated First Criminal Division, presided over by Judge Yoon Seong-sik, sentenced Yoon to seven years in prison at the second-instance trial in April — two years more than the five-year sentence handed down at first instance, but less than the 10 years sought by the special prosecutor team. Both Yoon's side and the special prosecutor team appealed, bringing the case before the Supreme Court.

Thursday's Supreme Court ruling will be the first appeal-level judgment against Yoon, coming roughly one year and seven months — 583 days — after the Dec. 3 emergency martial law crisis.

The main insurrection case, in which Yoon faces charges of leading an insurrection, is still being tried at the second-instance level at the Seoul High Court's insurrection-dedicated division. The first-instance court earlier sentenced Yoon to life in prison on the insurrection leadership charge.


kimstar@heraldcorp.com