South Korean National Assembly Calls for Yoon's Ouster During Impeachment Conclusion

Synopsis

The South Korean National Assembly's legal team pushed for the removal of President Yoon Suk Yeol due to his brief martial law declaration during the final arguments in the Constitutional Court. Yoon's absence was noted as his defense is awaited amid allegations of constitutional violations.

Key Takeaways

South Korean National Assembly demands President Yoon's removal.
The President declared martial law on December 3.
Yoon's legal team argues his actions were justified.
Legal experts anticipate a court decision within two weeks.
Impeachment motion cites constitutional violations.

Seoul, Feb 25 (NationPress) The legal team of the South Korean National Assembly has called for the ousting of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief imposition of martial law during the final arguments presented before the Constitutional Court on Tuesday.

President Yoon was not present in the courtroom as the attorneys commenced their concluding arguments, advocating for the court to uphold the Assembly's impeachment of the President related to his unexpected martial law declaration on December 3.

He is anticipated to appear later in the day to deliver his own final remarks, drawing significant attention regarding how he will justify his actions and whether he will express any remorse to the public.

"The evidence reviewed during the impeachment trial and the subsequent investigation highlighted that (Yoon) breached the Constitution and laws through a series of insurrectionary acts," stated Song Doo-hwan, a lawyer representing the National Assembly.

"It is difficult to envision a more serious reason than the issues of unconstitutionality and illegality presented in this case, both historically and in the future," he added.

Following this, Yoon's legal representatives presented their final arguments, after which both the President and Rep. Jung Chung-rai from the main opposition Democratic Party were allowed unlimited time for their concluding statements.

The President is expected to use his address to clarify the circumstances surrounding his unexpected martial law declaration on December 3 and to contest the legitimacy of the investigation led by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) as well as the prosecution.

Another point of interest is whether the President will apologize to the nation for the political chaos stemming from his martial law declaration and subsequent impeachment.

Rep. Jung indicated that he would utilize his concluding arguments to elucidate why Yoon should be removed from office, how his assertions diverge from the truth, and how the nation can navigate through the ongoing crisis.

The impeachment motion against Yoon alleges that the President violated constitutional provisions and legal standards by declaring martial law without a national emergency and disregarding due processes such as convening a Cabinet meeting and informing parliament.

Yoon has contended that his martial law declaration was a governance measure intended to warn the opposition party regarding its persistent impeachments of government officials and attempts to reduce the government budget, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

Legal analysts predict the court will render its decision on whether to remove Yoon from office or restore him within two weeks following Tuesday's hearing, referencing precedents set by former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye.