On the 9th, while the former President Yoon Suk Yeol was undergoing the second-instance trial on the charge of being the ringleader of insurrection at the Seoul High Court, he requested a recess from the bench and then watched, via a mobile phone livestream, the Supreme Court pronouncement on charges including obstruction of his arrest. The Supreme Court recognized all the charges against the former president, including obstruction of arrest, and finalized a guilty verdict.

From the morning of the 9th, the former president appeared for the second-instance trial on the insurrection ringleader charge being heard by the Seoul High Court Criminal Division 12-1 (Presiding Judge Lee Seung-cheol). For that reason, he did not attend the Supreme Court pronouncement at 2 p.m. on the charges including obstruction of arrest.

When it came time for the Supreme Court pronouncement on the charges including obstruction of arrest, his side asked the Seoul High Court bench for a recess so he could watch the pronouncement. The former president’s attorney said, “He needs to know how the decision comes out and respond, and we point out that this presents a problem in this part (the trial procedure),” and “We will proceed under the direction of the court.” The bench explained, “It is not that the bench did not consider it (the pronouncement schedule) at all,” and “We proceeded with the procedure because we thought you had determined internally a policy (not to attend the Supreme Court pronouncement hearing).”

Yoon, smiling, said, “I am fine,” but his attorney said, “If you adjourn for only 5~10 minutes, we can watch the pronouncement.” After discussion, at around 2:05 p.m., the bench decided to recess until the Supreme Court pronouncement was finished. The bench said, “We will first recess, and once we have heard the entire pronouncement, we will come down,” and left the courtroom.

Soon after, in the courtroom, the former president watched a livestream of the Supreme Court pronouncement through the defense team’s mobile phone. As Justice Lee Heung-gu read the dispositive statement, “We dismiss the appeal,” Yoon’s seven-year prison sentence was finalized. Yoon then nodded and gave a wry smile.

When the Supreme Court pronouncement ended, the former president personally told the court bailiff, “Let us proceed (with the trial) over there.” Sighs were heard from the gallery, and some spectators were on the verge of tears.

Attorney Song Jin-ho told the gallery, “Do not be too discouraged and stay strong,” and “Do not be disheartened; we do not mind at all.” Attorney Kim Gye-ri, after uttering a profanity, said, “Why would we not be disheartened. I feel upset.” Attorney Song said, “This is not the end here,” and “There are further procedures. If you cry, we also lose heart.” The former president also smiled and looked toward the gallery.

In contrast, Supreme Court Courtroom No. 1, where the pronouncement was held, had a calm atmosphere. There were only about twenty members of the public in attendance, and the gallery seats were sparsely filled. The Supreme Court had even prepared an overflow courtroom in case the gallery in the pronouncement courtroom filled up, but only 68 members of the public received gallery tickets.

Even after Justice Lee finished reading the dispositive statement, there was no major commotion in the gallery, and the pronouncement concluded in a quiet atmosphere. On this day, only Attorney Yoo Jeong-hwa was present for the former president’s defense team, and on the side of the special prosecutor team for the insurrection case (Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-seok), Seongnam District Office chief Jang Jun-ho, who had served as head of the investigation team, and prosecutors Jang Ji-yeong·Yoo Seung-jae appeared.

At around 2:20 p.m., after all the pronouncements had ended, the bench reentered the Seoul High Court courtroom and is conducting witness examination of Noh Sang-won, former commander of the Defense Intelligence Command, and others.