Overview

• Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attended his second criminal trial hearing on April 21, facing charges of leading an insurrection by declaring martial law and deploying troops to the National Assembly.
• Judge Ji Gui-yeon allowed press photography and filming of the session's opening for the first time, citing public interest and the historical significance of the case.
• Yoon's legal team cross-examined Col. Cho Sung-hyun and Lt. Col. Kim Hyung-ki, who testified they were ordered to remove lawmakers from the National Assembly during the martial law declaration.
• The defense questioned the credibility and feasibility of the alleged orders, with Cho asserting that such directives were impractical and later withdrawn by his commander.
• Yoon, who delivered a lengthy defense in the first hearing, remained mostly silent during the second session, reiterating late in the day that martial law does not inherently constitute insurrection.