South Korea's ex‑President Yoon Suk‑yeol to face Supreme Court appeal hearing

South Korea’s Supreme Court announced that it will livestream the appeal hearing for former President Yoon Suk‑yeol on 9 September. The case concerns charges of special public‑official obstruction, abuse of authority and interference with the execution of a warrant issued by the anti‑corruption agency. Yoon was sentenced to five years in the first trial and the sentence was raised to seven years on appeal. Under South Korean law the defendant is not required to attend the appeal hearing, and Yoon has indicated he will not appear.

The hearing marks the first Supreme Court decision on Yoon's case since the 12 December 2022 emergency decree was lifted, a gap of 583 days. The same court is also set to rule later this month on his wife, former First Lady Kim Keon‑hee, who faces charges of stock‑price manipulation and other alleged misconduct.

Both trials are part of a broader special‑investigator effort that has also brought former prime minister Han Deok‑soo and former minister Lee Sang‑min before the court, highlighting the ongoing legal scrutiny of officials linked to the 2022 emergency decree.