South Korean Court Schedules Additional Hearing for Yoon’s Impeachment Trial
The South Korean Constitutional Court announced on Thursday that it will hold an additional hearing next week in the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Seoul: The South Korean Constitutional Court announced on Thursday that it will hold an additional hearing next week in the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
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Ninth Formal Hearing Set for Tuesday
The ninth formal hearing will take place at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, where arguments from both Yoon’s legal team and the National Assembly will be presented for two hours each. South Korean acting court President Moon Hyung-bae mentioned that the court will also “examine evidence that was adopted but not examined today” during the eighth hearing.
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Possible Additional Hearings
Moon did not specify if more hearings would be scheduled after the ninth or when the trial would conclude. Yoon’s side has requested the appearance of six additional witnesses, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho.
Friday Meeting to Decide on Witness Requests
A meeting of justices is scheduled for Friday, where they are expected to decide whether to accept Yoon’s request for additional witnesses. If approved, more hearings may be required, potentially delaying the court’s verdict on Yoon’s impeachment until mid-March. If not, the ruling could come in early March, according to Yonhap news agency.
Opposition Parties Propose Special Counsel Bill
On February 11, six opposition parties in South Korea proposed a special counsel bill to investigate allegations surrounding President Yoon Suk Yeol’s involvement in an influence-peddling scandal related to the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.
The scandal involves claims that Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, took approximately 76 million won ($54,400) from former ruling party lawmaker Rep. Kim Young-sun in exchange for helping her secure a nomination for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.
Impeachment Over Martial Law Imposition
The National Assembly had voted to impeach President Yoon after he controversially imposed martial law on December 3, which was later deemed short-lived. He faced charges of leading an insurrection and was arrested.
Allegations also surfaced that Yoon had deployed military troops to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting against the martial law declaration, with plans to arrest key political figures.
