Seoul High Court Convenes First Hearing on Appeals in Yoon Suk Yeol's Martial Law Case

M. on April 27, 2026, for the first preliminary hearing in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's insurrection trial. Yonhap reported the session stems from appeals filed by both Yoon and a special counsel team against a lower court's February 2026 ruling.

That ruling sentenced Yoon to life imprisonment for leading an insurrection through his martial law declaration on December 3, 2024. Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team had demanded the death penalty for Yoon during the lower court proceedings. The team accused Yoon of declaring the martial law decree to incite a riot with the intent of subverting the constitutional order, according to Yonhap.

Yoon is not required to attend the April 27, 2026, session, which focuses on discussing the trial's future proceedings. The lower court also sentenced former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to a 30-year prison term for playing a key role in the insurrection. Six former senior military and police officials were convicted in the same case, Yonhap stated.

The appeals court plans to hold its next preliminary hearing on May 7, 2026, before beginning official trial hearings. The trial concerns Yoon's failed 2024 martial law bid, which led to his conviction on insurrection charges. Appeals were filed by Yoon and the special counsel team over the February 2026 ruling that found him guilty of leading the insurrection via the December 3, 2024, declaration.

A file photo taken on February 19, 2026, shows a person watching a news report of Yoon's conviction at Seoul Station in central Seoul. Yonhap noted that the February 2026 ruling convicted Yoon on charges tied directly to the martial law action. The special counsel's push for the death penalty highlighted accusations of intent to subvert the constitutional order through inciting a riot.

Former military and police officials' convictions underscore the broader scope of the case beyond Yoon and Kim Yong-hyun.