Seoul, Sep 16 (IANS) The insurrection trial of South Korea’s former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be held once a week starting later this month, a court said on Tuesday.
Han has been indicted on charges of abetting former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law imposition in December, perjury, falsifying and destroying official documents, and other offences, Yonhap news agency reported.
During the first pretrial hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday, the bench said the formal trial will begin September 30 and proceed swiftly with one hearing every Monday.
The first formal hearing will be used to examine surveillance camera footage from the presidential office on the day martial law was declared on December 3.
Before Yoon declared martial law, he convened a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office, allegedly at Han’s suggestion.
The footage reportedly shows Han gathering papers printed with the martial law declaration and Yoon’s address to the nation from the meeting room.
It also allegedly shows Han checking whether the quorum for a Cabinet meeting is met by counting with his hand, and conferring with the then Interior Minister Lee Sang-min after the meeting is over.
Han’s indictment accuses him of drafting a revised proclamation after December 3 with the aim of enhancing the legitimacy of the decree and later destroying it.
He also stands accused of lying under oath at the Constitutional Court and the National Assembly that he was not aware that Yoon had given him a copy of the martial law declaration until after the decree was lifted.
Han did not attend Tuesday’s pretrial hearing as it was not required.
Earlier in August, a special counsel team indicted Han on charges of abetting Yoon’s failed imposition of martial law.
Han was indicted without physical detention on charges of abetting the ringleader of an insurrection, perjury, falsifying and destroying official documents, and other offences, according to special counsel Cho Eun-suk’s team.
–IANS
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