South Korea's ousted President Yun Suk-yeol appeared in court on Monday for the start of a new trial on obstruction of justice charges, after weeks of boycotting another trial. In it, he is accused of trying to organize a rebellion by imposing martial law, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The 64-year-old Yun appeared significantly thinner, his close-cropped hair turning gray after nearly two months in prison. During this period, he refused to attend court hearings, citing health reasons.
The former president has been charged with new charges of obstruction of justice for trying to block investigators who wanted to arrest him in January. Parliament then stripped him of his powers, and he barricaded himself in the presidential palace.
The new charges were filed by a special prosecutor appointed in June, whose team expanded the investigation into Yun and several former government and military officials.
Yun, whose removal from power was confirmed by the Constitutional Court in April, is also facing other investigations. A second special prosecutor has filed corruption charges against the former first lady.
Yun denies any wrongdoing and says that as president he had the right to declare martial law in December. He insists that all investigations against him are politically motivated.
If found guilty on the new charges, Yun could face more than three years in prison. He previously faced the death penalty or life in prison if convicted of attempted sedition.