Courtroom No. 417: Where presidents and business tycoons face justice

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Courtroom No. 417: Where presidents and business tycoons face justice

Published: 21 Apr. 2025, 22:11

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Late presidents, Roh Tae-woo, left and Chun Doo Hwan stand in Courtroom No. 417 in Seoul in 1996 to receive their first ruling on a military coup that helped them seize state power in 1979. [JOONGANG PHOTO]

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was shown in photos and videos as a defendant for the first time on Monday. This came as the Seoul Central District Court allowed filming inside Courtroom No. 417 during Yoon's second criminal trial on charges of leading an insurrection.

Yoon is the fifth former president to appear in this courtroom as a defendant. Former Presidents Chun Doo Hwan and Roh Tae-woo stood trial in 1996, Park Geun-hye in 2017, and Lee Myung-bak in 2018. In each of those four cases, the court permitted limited filming before the first hearing in consideration of the public's right to know.

All five presidential trials have taken place in Courtroom No. 417 because it is a large criminal courtroom with 150 spectator seats. Compared to smaller courtrooms, which hold around 30 to 40 seats, and medium-sized ones with about 100, Courtroom No. 417 accommodates a significantly larger audience and offers the most spacious layout for the defendant, lawyers and prosecutors.

Former Presidents Chun Doo Hwan, left, and Roh Tae-woo, who were indicted on charges including insurrection, murder for insurrectional purposes, and bribery related to the Dec. 12 coup and the May 18 Gwangju Uprising, stand at the defendant’s bench on March 11, 1996. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The famous photo of former Presidents Chun and Roh standing side by side in sky-blue prison uniforms and white rubber slippers was also taken in Courtroom No. 417. That image was captured during the first hearing in March 1996, when both were indicted and detained for the Dec. 12, 1979 coup and slush fund scandals. The court allowed approximately a minute and 30 seconds of filming at that time.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the second criminal hearing on charges of leading an insurrection at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on April 21. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

More recently, in May 2017, Park stood trial in the same courtroom for abuse of power. It was her first appearance in 53 days since she was first detained. The court allowed minimal filming "in consideration of the public's right to know." Video footage shows Park seated in the defendant’s chair with Choi Seo-won, formerly Choi Soon-sil, who was indicted alongside her, separated by their attorneys, both staring straight ahead.

Former President Lee Myung-bak sits in Courtroom No. 417 at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on May 23, 2018. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

In May 2018, Lee appeared in the same courtroom on charges of embezzling funds from Das Corporation. He emerged for the first time in 62 days, appearing visibly gaunt and holding a yellow envelope containing a statement as he took his seat.

Former President Park Geun-hye, left, sits at the defendant’s bench alongside Choi Soon-sil during the first trial hearing on charges including bribery, held in Courtroom No. 417 at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on May 23, 2017. [CHO MUN-KYU]

Not only former presidents, but also prominent figures in the business world have stood trial in Courtroom No. 417. These include former Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Kun-hee, Hyundai Motor Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo, SK Chairman Chey Tae-won and Hanwha Chairman Kim Seung-youn. In 2017, a wave of indictments related to former President Park's abuse of power led to trials here for Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and others.

Currently, in addition to three insurrection-related trials, Courtroom No. 417 is also handling cases involving allegations that the SPC Group coerced its workers to withdraw from the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, unresolved payments involving TMON and WeMakePrice, and the alleged cover-up of a shooting in the Yellow Sea during the Moon Jae-in administration.

BY CHOI SEO-IN [[email protected]]