Seoul High Court Designates Criminal Divisions 1 and 12 as Dedicated Panels for Insurrection Cases

by Byun Seonjin

Published 05 Feb.2026 15:30(KST)

Yonhap News

Two dedicated panels at the Seoul High Court have been formed to handle second-instance trials for insurrection and treason cases, including the case in which former President Yoon Suk Yeol is charged as the ringleader of an insurrection.

On the afternoon of February 5, the Seoul High Court held a full judges' meeting and announced that, through a random draw among its criminal appellate divisions, Criminal Division 1 and Criminal Division 12 were designated as dedicated panels for insurrection cases.

Under this allocation of duties, Criminal Division 1 is composed of Presiding Judge Yoon Sung-sik (24th class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute), a senior judge at the High Court, and High Court Judges Min Sung-cheol (29th class) and Lee Dong-hyun (36th class). Presiding Judge Yoon has also been named as one of the candidates to succeed Supreme Court Justice Noh Tae-ak, who will retire on March 3.

Criminal Division 12 is a collegial panel consisting of High Court Judges Lee Seung-chul (26th class), Cho Jin-goo (29th class), and Kim Min-a (34th class). The three High Court judges have agreed to take turns serving as presiding judge.

The dedicated panels for insurrection cases were established under the "Special Act on Criminal Procedures for Crimes of Insurrection, Treason, and Rebellion, etc." (the Act on the Establishment of Dedicated Panels for Insurrection Cases), which was led by the Democratic Party of Korea, passed the National Assembly, and took effect last month. The special act mandates that the Seoul Central District Court and the Seoul High Court each establish two dedicated panels to handle insurrection, treason, and rebellion cases, or related cases, that are recognized as being of national importance.