The Supreme Court rejected a motion by former President Yoon Suk-yeol's legal team to recuse the appellate panel in his insurrection ringleader case, which his side argued risked conducting an unfair trial. With the motion now dismissed, Yoon's suspended trial is expected to resume soon.
The Supreme Court's Second Division, with Justice Oh Kyung-mi as the presiding judge, on Wednesday rejected Yoon's re-appeal against the decision to dismiss his motion to recuse the judges.
On Nov. 13, Yoon's legal team filed a motion to recuse the appellate panel handling his insurrection ringleader case — the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 12-1 (high court judges Lee Seung-chul, Cho Jin-gu and Kim Min-a) — arguing that the panel "risks conducting an unfair trial." His side claimed that the panel had already formed serious preconceptions before the appellate proceedings began, having acknowledged Yoon's charges through its ruling in the case of the former prime minister.
However, the Seoul High Court's Criminal Division 1 (chief judge Yoon Sung-sik), which reviewed the recusal motion, dismissed it on Nov. 20. The court said that Yoon's case and the former prime minister's case were separate criminal cases, and that there was no risk of an unfair trial.
Yoon's legal team contested the decision. But the Supreme Court also upheld the dismissal that day.
