South Korea’s Constitutional Court commenced impeachment hearings against President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday, initiating a pivotal process that could determine his removal from office. The proceedings stem from Yoon’s alleged December 3 attempt to impose martial law, which has sparked widespread controversy and legal scrutiny.
The court’s spokesperson, Lee Jean, announced in a news conference that the first public hearing is scheduled for December 27. This initial session will be preparatory in nature, aiming to confirm key legal issues and set the schedule for subsequent hearings. The court’s six justices met earlier to outline the review plans following the impeachment motion passed by the opposition-controlled parliament on Saturday.
Under South Korean law, the Constitutional Court has up to six months to reach a verdict on whether to uphold the impeachment and remove President Yoon from office or to reinstate him. Notably, Yoon is not required to attend the preliminary hearing.
The current impeachment echoes the historic 2017 case when the court took three months to remove then-President Park Geun-hye after her impeachment for abuse of power. Observers are closely watching to see how the proceedings against Yoon will unfold, given the serious nature of the allegations.
President Yoon and several senior officials are facing potential charges of insurrection related to the brief imposition of martial law. A joint investigative team comprising members from the police, the defense ministry, and an anti-corruption agency plans to summon Yoon for questioning at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, according to a police official speaking to Reuters.
Efforts to serve a summons to President Yoon have encountered obstacles. Investigators attempted to deliver the summons to the presidential office and his official residence, but the presidential security service reportedly declined to accept it, stating they were not in a position to do so, as reported by Yonhap News.
Additionally, Yoon did not appear for a separate inquiry by the prosecutors’ office on Sunday. According to Yonhap News, he cited the need to finalize his legal defense team as the reason for his absence.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
