The Seoul Central District Court assigned an additional judge to its unit handling trials related to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's December 3 declaration of martial law. 

The court announced Thursday that the additional judge will be dispatched to Criminal Collegiate Division 25 on Saturday to oversee general cases, allowing the three judges currently assigned to special counsel investigations, including one related to the 2023 death of a Marine, to focus on swift and fair trial proceedings in those high-profile cases.

The 25th division is handling the trials of Yoon, military officials including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and police officials including Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho in addition to general cases.

In order to prevent overwork, the court will ensure that each special counsel investigation assigned to a division takes the place of five general cases that would've been assigned instead.

Such measures come after many participants, during an extraordinary meeting of court leaders last Friday, called for judicial administrative support to ensure promptness and fairness in martial law-related trials.