South Korea's Constitutional Court held the fourth hearing of President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial on Thursday, with the president appearing in court for the second time. Yoon arrived at the courtroom at approximately 2:00 p.m. local time after attending the third hearing in person on Tuesday.
During the latest hearing, President Yoon defended his decision to impose martial law, stating that it did not fail but ended earlier than expected. He emphasized that he ordered the withdrawal of martial law troops from the National Assembly building as soon as the parliament repealed it.
Yoon's testimony contrasted sharply with statements made by the former deputy chief of the National Intelligence Service (NIS). On Wednesday, the former deputy chief told lawmakers that Yoon had instructed him over the phone, about 20 minutes after the martial law declaration, to \"round up and remove\" politicians, including the chiefs of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party.
According to multiple media outlets citing the prosecution's indictment, Yoon also urged military commanders to forcefully enter the National Assembly chamber, where lawmakers had gathered to lift the martial law, by \"firing guns\" and \"using axes\" to break the doors open.
Under South Korea's constitution, the president is required to report any imposition of martial law to the National Assembly, which holds the sole authority to repeal it. The motion to impeach Yoon was passed by the National Assembly on December 14 last year and was subsequently delivered to the Constitutional Court for deliberation, a process that can take up to 180 days. During this period, Yoon's presidential powers are suspended.
Yoon, identified by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader in an insurrection charge, declared martial law on the night of December 3 last year. The National Assembly revoked the martial law hours later. Throughout the night, military helicopters reportedly landed at the National Assembly, with hundreds of armed special forces troops storming the parliamentary building, as captured by television footage.
During the hearing, President Yoon directly questioned Kim Yong-hyun, the arrested former defense minister, asserting that there were not many special forces troops inside the main building of the National Assembly. Kim responded that approximately 280 special forces troops were deployed throughout the main building.
Following the conclusion of the hearing, Yoon was escorted back to the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, located about 30 kilometers south of the court. The next hearings are scheduled for February 4, 6, 11, and 13.
On January 19, a Seoul court granted a warrant to extend Yoon's detention for up to 20 days, making him the country's first sitting president to be formally arrested. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) referred Yoon's case to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, demanding his indictment. While the CIO has the authority to indict judges, prosecutors, and high-ranking police officers, it does not have the right to indict the president.
Yoon had rejected the CIO's repeated requests to appear for questioning. The prosecution is widely expected to indict him under detention for insurrection and other charges around February 5.
President Yoon was apprehended at the presidential office on January 15, becoming the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested.
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S. Korea's court holds 4th hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial
cgtn.com
