Yoon’s Legal Team Requests Recusal of 3 Justices in Impeachment Case
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's legal team has formally requested the recusal of three justices from the Constitutional Court in his impeachment case, citing concerns over impartiality.
Seoul: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol‘s legal team has formally requested the recusal of three justices from the Constitutional Court in his impeachment case, citing concerns over impartiality.
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On Friday, Yoon’s legal team filed the request for the recusals of Justice Moon Hyung-bae, Justice Lee Mi-seon, and Justice Chung Gye-seon, alleging potential political bias.
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Concerns Over Potential Bias
Yoon’s lawyers raised concerns about Moon, the acting chief justice, due to past social media interactions with Lee Jae-myung, the head of the main opposition Democratic Party. This raised suspicions of political impartiality in handling the case.
Regarding Lee, Yoon’s legal team noted that her brother serves as vice-chairman of a committee at the Lawyers for a Democratic Society, an organization that has called for the President’s resignation.
As for Chung, the legal team pointed out that her husband, a lawyer, had signed a public declaration calling for Yoon’s impeachment.
Yoon’s team argued that the justices’ apparent biases had already influenced the court’s approach to the case, according to Yonhap news agency.
Constitutional Court’s Likely Response
Despite the request, many legal experts believe the Constitutional Court is unlikely to grant the recusal request. The court has recently expressed concern over accusations that could undermine its judicial independence.
Cabinet’s Demand for Reconsideration
In a separate development, the South Korean Cabinet urged the National Assembly to reconsider a bill proposed by the opposition, which called for a special counsel probe into President Yoon’s failed martial law attempt last month.
The motion to reconsider was approved during a Cabinet meeting, chaired by acting President Choi Sang-mok. Choi emphasized that there was no valid reason for a special counsel appointment, as Yoon had already been arrested and indicted on charges related to insurrection.
Yoon’s Meeting with Senior Aides
On Friday, President Yoon Suk Yeol met with his senior aides at the Seoul Detention Centre, encouraging them to continue their work despite the ongoing legal challenges.
This marked the first visit by Yoon’s aides since his formal detention on January 19 over allegations of insurrection and abuse of power following his attempted imposition of martial law in December.
Earlier, on January 28, Yoon had defended his decision to declare martial law during a meeting with his legal representatives.
Allegations Against Yoon
Yoon is accused of conspiring with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others to incite an insurrection on December 3 by declaring an unconstitutional state of emergency, despite the absence of any national crisis or armed conflict.
