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Former President Yoon Suk-yeol arrives at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, Seoul, on April 14 to attend his first formal criminal trial on charges of leading an insurrection. / Source: Yonhap News

Former President Yoon Suk-yeol will be seen sitting in the defendant’s seat inside the courtroom, as media outlets have been granted permission to photograph the proceedings of his second criminal trial on insurrection charges. The move comes after controversy over media access at his first hearing.

According to legal sources on April 17, the Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Agreement Division 25, presided over by Judge Ji Gui-yeon, approved media filming for Yoon’s second hearing scheduled for 10 a.m. on April 21 in courtroom 417.

At the first trial held on April 14, the court denied media access, citing a delayed request from reporters. The decision sparked backlash, with critics questioning whether Yoon had received special treatment compared to other former presidents.

Under Supreme Court regulations, judges can authorize courtroom filming without the defendant’s consent if it is deemed to serve the public interest.

In previous high-profile cases, courts allowed filming of former presidents Park Geun-hye in 2017 and Lee Myung-bak in 2018 during the opening of their respective trials. Both cases drew significant public interest, and the courts cited public benefit and case importance in approving the coverage.

A similar decision was made in 1996, when former presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo appeared in court over charges related to the 12/12 military coup and slush fund scandals. Their courtroom appearances were also captured by the media with judicial approval.