'Mandatory Rebellion Trial Broadcast' Begins First Week... Changed Landscape at Seoul Central District Court

Amended Special Prosecutor Act Takes Effect on October 27... Four Cameras Each in Three 'Broadcast Courtrooms'

Confusion in Finding Courtrooms Capable of Broadcast... Some Defendants, Including Yoon & Kim Yong-hyun, Object

Seoul Courthouse Complex [Yonhap News Agency Archive Photo]

The court is also showing a changed landscape following the enforcement of the amended Special Prosecutor Act, which mandates the broadcasting of rebellion trials.

According to legal circles on the 2nd, the amended Special Prosecutor Act, which mandates the broadcasting of first-instance trials for cases prosecuted or maintained by the Special Prosecutor for rebellion, took effect on the 27th of last month.

Consequently, rebellion trials held across the court in the past week have presented a significantly different appearance from before.

Seoul Central District Court has installed four cameras each in courtroom No. 417 (Grand Courtroom) and courtrooms No. 311 and 358 (Medium Courtrooms). It is reported that approximately 200 million won was spent to install a total of 12 cameras.

The filmed footage will be posted on the Central District Court's YouTube channel after the trial concludes.

Under the amended Special Prosecutor Act, the court's anonymization measures related to personal information and privacy are also exempted. Cases broadcast before the 27th of last month were released to the public after the court applied its own anonymization measures, such as mosaic blurring.

Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 32, presiding over the case of former Minister Lee Sang-min (Seoul=Yonhap News) Presiding Judge Ryu Kyung-jin presides over the first trial of former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min on charges of disrupting media reporting, perjury, and engaging in important rebellion duties, at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 17th. 2025.10.17 [Photo Joint Press Corps] photo@yna.co.kr

Broadcasting proceeds according to the presiding judge's instructions.

Criminal Division 32 (Presiding Judge Ryu Kyung-jin), which is presiding over the case of former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min on charges of engaging in important rebellion duties, issued specific filming instructions on the 30th of last month, stating, "The broadcast footage will be close-up when speaking, but for witnesses, close-ups will not be permitted as it may hinder their free testimony. When witnesses testify, only a rear full shot will be allowed to capture the attendance status."

Witness examination broadcasts have also been disallowed when a witness testifies on matters related to national security.

Criminal Division 35 (Presiding Judge Baek Dae-hyun), which is presiding over the charges against former President Yoon Suk-yeol, including obstruction of special official duties, disallowed the broadcast of witness examination for former Deputy Director of the Presidential Security Service Kim Seong-hoon on the 31st of last month, citing concerns about revealing security information such as the identities and security systems of guards protecting the incumbent president.

Criminal Division 21 (Presiding Judge Lee Hyun-bok), presiding over the case of former Commander of the Defense Intelligence Agency Roh Sang-won on charges of violating the Personal Information Protection Act, also announced on the 29th of last month that it would not broadcast witness examinations for active-duty military personnel.

The court has had to change previously used courtrooms or hold trials in different courtrooms each term to find spaces capable of broadcasting.

For Commander Roh's trial, it was previously held in courtroom No. 502 at the Central District Court, but on the 29th, it was moved to courtroom No. 417, which is capable of broadcasting. The trial will be held in courtroom No. 311 on the 5th.

Yoon Suk-yeol attends court (Seoul=Yonhap News) Former President Yoon Suk-yeol attends the first public hearing of the case for charges including obstruction of special official duties and abuse of power at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 26th. 2025.9.26 [Photo Joint Press Corps] photo@yna.co.kr

Attorneys for some defendants have objected to the mandatory trial broadcast provision.

On the 27th of last month, attorneys for former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun argued in the continued hearing of the rebellion duty case presided over by Criminal Division 25 (Presiding Judge Ji Gwi-yeon) that they were being restricted in exercising their right to defense due to the broadcast occurring without prior notice. On the 31st of last month, they submitted a motion to prohibit broadcasting.

Former President Yoon also objected on the 30th of last month during the trial for charges of leading a rebellion, stating, "Trial broadcasts do not serve any purpose beyond providing sensational gossip."

Former President Yoon's legal team also filed a request with the same court for a referral to the Constitutional Court to examine the constitutionality of the provision. Yonhap News