Overview
- Seoul Central District Court held the first hearing on allegations that drones were dispatched to Pyongyang in 2024, proceeding behind closed doors due to state secrets.
- Yoon’s defense sought the bench’s recusal in the drone case, alleging prejudgment based on unconfirmed documents, while judges said they will decide on closures session by session.
- After a nearly 15-hour open-court review of documentary evidence on Friday, the court scheduled Jan. 13 for Yoon’s closing argument plus the special counsel’s sentencing request on the insurrection charge.
- Legal observers still expect an insurrection verdict in early to mid‑February before the March judicial reshuffle, despite the late postponement.
- A separate first‑instance ruling on obstruction of special official duties is due Friday, for which prosecutors have asked for a 10‑year prison term, with additional hearings on espionage, perjury, and appointment‑related charges crowding Yoon’s week.