Former President Yoon Suk-yeol and three other defendants filed motions to disqualify the presiding judges during their rebellion-appeal trial on Thursday [1].

This legal maneuver halts the proceedings for the high-profile defendants, creating a split in the trial process. The move effectively delays the judicial timeline for the former head of state and his top security officials.

The defendants who filed the motions include Yoon Suk-yeol, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, and former Army Intelligence Commander No Sang-won, along with one other individual [1]. These four defendants said that a fair trial could not be expected under the current judicial panel [2].

Of the eight defendants currently on trial, only four appeared for the scheduled hearing on May 14, 2026 [2]. The remaining four requested the disqualification of the judges, leading the court to suspend the trial specifically for those individuals [1].

The motions were submitted during the first hearing of the appeal trial [1]. This tactical shift ensures that the legal process for the most senior officials remains paused while the court considers whether the presiding judges must be removed from the case [2].

The court has not yet ruled on the validity of the disqualification requests. The trial for the four defendants who did not file motions is expected to proceed, though the overall case remains fragmented by these filings [2].

“The defendants argued that a fair trial could not be expected.”

The filing of judge-disqualification motions is a common legal strategy used to challenge the impartiality of a court and delay the delivery of a verdict. By suspending the trial for the primary figures—including the former president and defense minister—the defense creates a procedural hurdle that could prolong the legal battle and postpone the final adjudication of the rebellion charges.