The recent performance of former South Korean President Yin Xi Jinping, compared with the previous one, can be said to be judged by two people.
For the past few years, there were also various robberies in the custody, claiming that he was physically broken, mentally unstable, refused to appear in court several times, and almost packaged himself as a "sick and unsweetened" old man.
But the wind recently turned, and on September 23, Yongxiang’s team of lawyers said he would attend the trial on September 26. This changed the speed of the face, without reminding anyone what he intended to see.
Interestingly, his trial of "civil strife" has been delayed again and again, saying that he can't appear in court for health reasons. But this time, in the case of "abuse of power", he suddenly recovered from illness and his attitude became "sensible".
Why have you resisted so much before and now?
"Pretending to be sick" is procrastination, cooperation is for freedom
From being investigated to being detained, Yin Xiyue has always used "physical condition" as a shield. He doesn't mean that he can't go to jail because of high blood pressure, or that he can't go to court because of heart discomfort.
When the detention center was a little tougher, he lost control of his emotions and undressed to protest, which made even the prison guards afraid to act rashly. These behaviors have long been discussed in the Korean public opinion field. Some people say that he is an "acting school", while others say that he is "too afraid".
But this time, he didn't play tricks again, and he didn't mention any health problems and mental stress. Behind this, it was obviously not that the body recovered suddenly and magically, but that the profit drive was too strong.
One of the key points of this upcoming trial is to examine his application for bail pending trial. If the court finds that his health is indeed problematic, or the crime is not serious enough, he may temporarily leave the detention center and move to a non-custodial state.
For a man who once held the highest power in South Korea and is now in prison, even if only for a short time, “return to the sunlight” is a great victory.
Yongxiang is not unclear about what he is facing, he understands that as long as he can temporarily go out a step, not only can restore external contacts, but also can regain the control of public speech, even politically can not turn off, can also for the subsequent struggle for reduction of punishment and even amnesty to lay the foundation.
Instead of carrying it to the end, it's better to bow your head and admit your mistake in exchange for a breathing space.
The risk of the death penalty is too high, and “cooperation” is just a strategy.
Yongxiang is now facing more than one of the accusations, the "crimes of civil riots" are the most serious, such crimes falling to the highest rank in the Korean criminal code, and could theoretically be sentenced to life, and even death.
This is also the main reason he previously avoided and refused to appear in court, because once it was true, the consequences were irreversible.
This "abuse of power" case, although still a criminal offence, is completely different in nature and weight. In most cases, such cases are up to a few years of imprisonment, even if convicted, will not ruin the whole way out.
It is for this reason that he will choose to "cooperate to the end" in this node, and take the initiative to appear in court and respond in exchange for the courts' favor and the public opinion's tolerance.
He was clear that it was unrealistic not to put all hope on the “freedom of innocence,” but he could walk a vague zone between the “crime deserves” and the “light handling.”
As long as he is sufficiently "obedient" and can find some healthy reasons, the court may tend to allow him to be released on bail, allowing him to temporarily return to society.
This is not just for the sake of life, but also for the sake of political coding.After his release, he has the opportunity to speak out in the media, build up public opinion, and re-connect with conservative allies.
As long as he can continue to be politically fermented, he can slow down the judicial rhythm, wait until one day the political wind changes, and maybe even catch the turn.
He wasn't betting on the law, but on the political cycle
Yin’s calculation is not complicated, he doesn’t want to rely on the law to whiten himself, nor does he expect the court to suddenly declare him innocent. His real treasure is that Korean politics consistently “cyclical liquidation” and “cyclical pardon.”
In South Korea's history, there have been too many former presidents who have been involved in a judicial storm after their resignation, first with heavy convictions, and later withdrawing from the stage in political change.
Yin Ziyu obviously wanted to replicate this path, and he knew that the conservatives still had a stable mass base in South Korea, as long as he was, even if only symbolically appeared, could continue to maintain this part of the force.
All he has to do now is drag time. As long as we can survive the current period of judicial pressure, wait until conservatives regain control of power, and then seek political amnesty or commutation, it is very possible.
This "boiling" strategy is not new in South Korea, but it has always been effective.
That's why he suddenly "changed his face" this time. Not because I am willing to accept punishment, but because the risk of this "abuse of power" case is relatively controllable and can be used as an opportunity to "show weakness".
He was sending a signal to the court: I cooperated, don’t push me too tight.
And the ultimate goal of this "co-show" is to fight for time and space, waiting for the next political opportunity.
Public opinion is the main battlefield.
If Yongsyeong really succeeds in getting his bail, his next step will not be to "reassure himself waiting for the verdict", but will immediately launch a political counterattack.
His goal was to reappear in the public eye, to accuse “political persecution” and to shape himself as a “oppressed conservative representative” to activate his residual influence in the conservative camp.
He will not sit and watch the ruling party Li in the way, although Li is now the leader of the ruling party, but the party lacks a strong successor, and the outside also faces a lot of controversy.
Once Yin Xiyue regains his freedom, it is possible to re-create pressure on the ruling party through the media, social platforms, and various conservative groups.
And he himself knew that what really determined his fate was not those legal provisions, but the entire political ecology.
What he is doing now is to prevent himself from being completely marginalized in this ecology. As long as he can keep the right to speak, even if it is only a small area, he still has a chance to make a comeback.
Of course, it all rests on a premise-the court must nod his head to get him out on bail. If the court insists that his crime is serious and the social impact is bad, and refuses bail, then his plan will have to be completely postponed or even completely ruined.
By then, he may be “sick” again, refuse to appear in court again, and everything will return to its original place.
This office has just begun.
Yin's "cooperation" now does not mean confession of guilt, nor does it mean sudden discovery of conscience.
He just found a relatively safe exit and wanted to get the opportunity to go out and fight for greater operating space for himself.
This trial is only superficial, the real battlefield is in politics, in public opinion, in every fluctuation of future politics.
From former presidents to prisoners, to possible "political return", South Korea is not the first time that such a script has been performed.
Yin will not easily give up any possibility of a twist, every next step, he is counting. and this clash about justice, politics and personal destiny is far from over.
This is not a simple trial, but a long game.
The reference information:
Yin Xiyue is scheduled to appear in court on the 26th. He has been absent for 10 consecutive times before-Global Times 2025-09-24 14:00