Yoon's lawyers oppose live broadcast of Supreme Court ruling in arrest-obstruction case

Lawyers for former President Yoon Suk Yeol have submitted a formal objection to the Supreme Court opposing a live broadcast of the final appeal ruling in a case involving charges of obstructing the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials' arrest operations, scheduled for Thursday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon's defense team filed a written opinion Tuesday with the Supreme Court's Third Division — presided over by Justice Lee Suk-yeon — urging the court to reject a live-broadcast request filed by the insurrection special prosecutor's team. The lawyers argued that permitting a broadcast would risk irreparable harm to Yoon's right to a fair trial, his personal rights and his reputation.

The defense team said there was a risk that "the public would view the case through the lens of political interests or emotional judgment rather than focusing on the legal principles and evidence of the ruling." It also warned that edited clips or select expressions circulating immediately after sentencing could amplify only a political message rather than the full reasoning of the ruling.

The lawyers also noted that the Constitutional Court is currently reviewing a constitutional complaint Yoon filed against the special prosecutor act. They argued that broadcasting the Supreme Court ruling live before the Constitutional Court issues its judgment "could give the public the impression that the legitimacy of the special prosecutor act and the criminal proceedings based on it have already been settled."

The insurrection special prosecutor's team had requested on July 3 that the Supreme Court permit a live broadcast of the final appeal ruling in Yoon's case on charges including obstruction of official duties, set for 2 p.m. Thursday.

The special prosecutor act stipulates that a live broadcast must be permitted, absent special circumstances, when requested by either the special prosecutor or the defendant.