Seoul court postpones sentencing request hearing for Yoon to Tuesday

A Seoul court late Friday postponed the sentencing request hearing for former President Yoon Suk Yeol over insurrection charges related to his botched declaration of martial law in 2024 to next Tuesday.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol stands after his trial on charges of leading an insurrection is adjourned at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul on Jan. 9. [NEWS1]

A Seoul court late Friday postponed the sentencing request hearing for former President Yoon Suk Yeol over insurrection charges related to his botched declaration of martial law in 2024 to next Tuesday.

The Seoul Central District Court said it would schedule an additional hearing “on Tuesday to hear Yoon's defense,” and will “unconditionally conclude” the hearing on that day.

The court had originally planned to conclude the trial Friday after hearing special counsel Cho Eun-suk's sentencing request and the defendant's final statement. However, due to delays in the proceedings, the court rescheduled what was supposed to be the final hearing for an additional date.

The presiding judge said it would be “fairer and more efficient to allow those who have prepared to speak while they still have the energy.”

The special prosecution team convened on Thursday to discuss the sentence for Yoon, who is accused of inciting an insurrection through his short-lived martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024. If found guilty, his sentence could range from life imprisonment to capital punishment for masterminding an insurrection.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]