Additional Hearing Set for Yoon's Impeachment Case in South Korea
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Synopsis
The South Korean Constitutional Court will hold an additional hearing for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial next week, focusing on witness testimonies and previously accepted evidence.
Key Takeaways
- Additional hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
- Arguments from both sides will be presented.
- Six more witnesses requested by Yoon's legal team.
- Further hearings may delay ruling until mid-March.
- Allegations against Yoon involve influence-peddling scandal.
Seoul, Feb 13 (NationPress) The South Korean Constitutional Court announced on Thursday that it will conduct an extra hearing for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial next week.
The ninth formal hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Tuesday, during which arguments will be presented by both Yoon's legal team and the National Assembly for two hours each.
Acting court President Moon Hyung-bae indicated that the court will also review evidence that was accepted but not analyzed in the previous session.
However, he did not confirm if further hearings would be planned after the ninth session or when the court's decisions would conclude.
Yoon's team has requested the testimony of six additional witnesses, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho.
A meeting among the justices is set for Friday, where they will likely decide on this request.
If these witnesses are called, it may lead to more hearings, potentially delaying the court's ruling on Yoon's impeachment until mid-March.
Alternatively, the court could issue its decision in early March, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
On February 11, six opposition parties put forth a special counsel bill to investigate allegations concerning the impeached President Yoon's influence-peddling scandal tied to the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.
This scandal includes claims that Myung Tae-kyun, a self-identified power broker, received about 76 million won ($54,400) from former ruling party lawmaker Rep. Kim Young-sun in return for assisting her nomination in the 2022 elections.
Myung allegedly secured Kim Young-sun's nomination by conducting favorable public opinion polls for Yoon prior to the 2022 presidential election.
The National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon due to his controversial, albeit brief, declaration of martial law on December 3. He faces charges of instigating an insurrection and has been arrested.
Yoon is also accused of deploying military forces to the National Assembly to hinder lawmakers from rejecting the martial law declaration and planning to detain key political figures.
