South Korea: Court Denies Yoon's Appeal to Delay Impeachment Hearing

Synopsis

On January 16, the Constitutional Court of South Korea rejected President Yoon Suk Yeol's request to delay his impeachment hearing. Yoon's legal team had sought the postponement, but the court can proceed with deliberations regardless of his attendance starting from this second hearing.

Key Takeaways

The court rejected Yoon’s request to postpone.
The second hearing can proceed without his presence.
Yoon was taken to a detention center for questioning.
He faces charges of insurrection and abuse of power.
Yoon is the first sitting president to be arrested.

Seoul, Jan 16 (NationPress) The Constitutional Court of South Korea announced on Thursday that it has denied President Yoon Suk Yeol's appeal to delay a hearing regarding his impeachment, which is set to take place later today.

The second official hearing of the impeachment trial is on the agenda for later today, but Yoon's legal team has sought a postponement.

Per legal regulations, the court is authorized to continue deliberations regardless of his presence starting from this second hearing.

Yoon did not attend the first hearing on Tuesday, which concluded after just 4 minutes, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

On January 15, the impeached President Yoon was taken to a detention facility where he spent the night before facing more inquiries related to his declaration of martial law.

He was transported to the Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, located 22 km south of Seoul, following over 10 hours of questioning at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) in nearby Gwacheon.

The CIO stated in a press release, "The questioning of President Yoon concluded at 9:40 p.m."

Yoon declined to respond to inquiries concerning his martial law declaration on December 3, according to the CIO. Further questioning was scheduled for Thursday, prior to the investigators filing for a warrant to officially arrest him within 48 hours of his detention at 10:33 a.m. on Wednesday.

Yoon, who is the first sitting president to be arrested, was taken into custody by investigators at his official residence in central Seoul after an earlier attempt to detain him in early January was thwarted due to a standoff with presidential security, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

The interrogation sessions were conducted in a room at the CIO headquarters and led by deputy CIO chief Lee Jae-seung, among others, with one of Yoon's lawyers present. The questioning was not recorded on video due to Yoon's objections, as stated by the CIO.

Yoon, who was suspended from his duties following his impeachment by the National Assembly on December 14, is facing allegations of insurrection and abuse of power.

He is accused of deploying troops to the National Assembly after declaring martial law on the night of December 3 to obstruct lawmakers from opposing the decree.