New Court Case for Former President Yoon Suk Yeol

May 14, 2026, 02:52
AsiaPolitics

Introduction

A high court in Seoul started a new trial for former President Yoon Suk Yeol and seven other people.

Main Body

A lower court said Yoon and his friends broke the law in December 2024. The first court gave Yoon a life sentence in prison. It gave Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun 30 years in prison. Yoon's lawyers want new judges for this trial. They say the current judges are not fair. They believe the judges already decided that Yoon is guilty. Yoon has eight other court cases now. Some cases are about the law in 2024. Other cases are about his wife and the death of a soldier in 2023.

Conclusion

The court is now deciding if they need new judges.

Learning

πŸ•’ Talking about the Past

In this news story, we see many words that tell us something happened before now. To reach A2, you need to know how to change action words for the past.

The Pattern: Most action words just get an -ed at the end.

  • Start β†’\rightarrow Started*
  • Break β†’\rightarrow Broke (Special word!)
  • Decide β†’\rightarrow Decided*

βš–οΈ Useful Word Pairs

Notice how the text groups people and things. This is a great way to build sentences:

  • Yoon and his friends (People together)
  • Life sentence (A long time in prison)
  • New judges (Different people in charge)

πŸ’‘ Quick Tip: "Some" vs "Other"

Use these to split a group into two parts:

  • Some cases are about the law... β†’\rightarrow (Group A)
  • Other cases are about his wife... β†’\rightarrow (Group B)

Vocabulary Learning

court (n.)
a place where legal cases are heard.
Example:The court decided the case.
trial (n.)
a legal examination of evidence.
Example:The trial will begin tomorrow.
law (n.)
a rule that people must follow.
Example:You must obey the law.
sentence (n.)
a punishment decided by a judge.
Example:He received a sentence of five years.
prison (n.)
a place where people are kept after being convicted.
Example:He was sent to prison.
judge (n.)
a person who decides cases in court.
Example:The judge listened to both sides.
fair (adj.)
treating everyone equally.
Example:The judge was fair to all.
guilty (adj.)
found responsible for a crime.
Example:The jury found him guilty.
case (n.)
a legal dispute.
Example:There are many cases in the court.
wife (n.)
a married woman.
Example:Her wife helped her.
death (n.)
the end of life.
Example:The death of the soldier shocked everyone.
soldier (n.)
a person who serves in the army.
Example:The soldier was honored.