The first official hearing of the impeachment case against Yoon Suk Yeol over the declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024 began yesterday afternoon (January 14) but lasted only 4 minutes due to Yoon's absence, according to Yonhap.
Lawyers for impeached President Yoon had earlier said that Yoon would not attend the hearing on January 14 due to concerns about his personal safety as investigators attempt to arrest him on charges of rebellion and abuse of power related to the declaration of martial law.
Police stand guard in front of the Constitutional Court in Seoul on January 14.
Subsequent hearings
Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae of the Constitutional Court announced yesterday that the next hearing has been scheduled for January 16. If Mr. Yoon also fails to attend, the trial will continue with his legal team, according to Reuters. Additional hearings have also been scheduled for January 21, January 23 and February 4. Outside the court, lawyers
Yoon Kab-keun, representing Mr. Yoon, said the impeached president will decide whether to appear in court in person on January 16 after discussing his defense strategy.
According to AFP, the court's eight judges will decide whether Mr Yoon's declaration of martial law was unconstitutional and whether it was illegal. These are the grounds for upholding Mr Yoon's impeachment, according to AFP. Six of the eight judges need to vote in favor of Mr Yoon's impeachment for him to be removed from office.
Mr. Yoon has been suspended from all duties since the South Korean parliament passed an impeachment motion against him on December 14, 2024. The South Korean parliament's legal team asserted before yesterday's hearing that there was "overwhelming reason to immediately remove" Mr. Yoon from office.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at the Presidential Office in Seoul on December 12, 2024.
New effort
In a parallel criminal investigation, a joint investigation team from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) and the police are preparing a new attempt to arrest impeached President Yoon, according to AFP. The previous attempt failed after Yoon's presidential guard blocked investigators from approaching and more than 1,000 of his supporters gathered outside the presidential palace.
A CIO official said they were “continuing preparations” for a second attempt to arrest Mr Yoon. Police are also said to be preparing 1,000 investigators for the new attempt. If the new arrest warrant is successful, Mr Yoon would become the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.
Mr Yoon's bodyguards have fortified his Seoul residence with barbed wire and bus barriers, while a military unit patrols outside. However, the South Korean defence ministry said yesterday that the unit will focus on its primary duty of securing the perimeter around the official presidential residence and will not be used to execute the arrest warrant for Mr Yoon.
If the second arrest warrant is not issued, the CIO could face a significant crisis regarding its future, according to Lee Jae-mook, a political science professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea. "If this situation continues, we could see an increase in social unrest," AFP quoted Professor Lee as saying.
The Constitutional Court of South Korea has 180 days to decide whether to uphold or reject the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol since it accepted the case on December 14, 2024. If the impeachment is upheld, Mr. Yoon will be removed from office, paving the way for a snap presidential election within 60 days. Otherwise, he will be reinstated.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/suc-ep-gia-tang-len-tong-thong-han-quoc-bi-luan-toi-18525011421195736.htm
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