• Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol begins a trial on obstruction charges.
• Yoon has maintained his innocence regarding all accusations of wrongdoing.
• This marks his first public appearance in over two months after being detained.
• He faces multiple charges stemming from a failed martial law bid and other alleged misconduct.
• A special prosecutor is leading the investigation against Yoon and former officials.

Ousted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court on Friday to commence a trial on obstruction charges, following weeks of boycotting a separate trial for allegedly masterminding an insurrection through a failed martial law bid. This was Yoon's first public appearance in over two months, as he has been detained and claimed health issues for not attending earlier court sessions, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.

During the proceedings, Yoon, who attended dressed in a navy suit and visibly thinner, faced accusations that include obstructing investigators during his detention and revising the martial law proclamation. He has denied all wrongdoing, asserting he acted within presidential powers to declare martial law during an emergency, as highlighted by AA and AA.

Alongside these obstruction charges, Yoon remains under investigation for his original intent to implement martial law last December, and faces a potential maximum of life imprisonment if found guilty of insurrection. His previous attempt to protect his position, which included a barricade of his own compound, also forms part of the ongoing investigations, which a special prosecutor has been expanding to include various former officials, according to Reuters and Channel News Asia.