South Korea: Yoon Participates in Possible Final Impeachment Hearing
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Synopsis
On February 13, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the likely final hearing of his impeachment trial concerning his brief martial law declaration in December. A ruling is expected in early March.
Key Takeaways
- Yoon's impeachment trial may conclude soon.
- Final decision anticipated in early March.
- Investigation into an influence-peddling scandal proposed.
- Previous impeachment cases concluded with swift court decisions.
- Yoon faced serious accusations of insurrection and military interference.
Seoul, Feb 13 (NationPress) On Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended what appears to be the concluding session of his impeachment trial regarding his brief declaration of martial law in December.
Yoon and several witnesses, including National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong, participated in the eighth formal hearing at the Constitutional Court in central Seoul, following the initial session held on January 14.
The hearing was significant as the court has not yet set further dates for the trial's oral arguments, suggesting that proceedings may conclude on this day.
If oral arguments wrap up on Thursday, a decisive ruling on whether to uphold Yoon's impeachment or restore him is anticipated in early March.
While the court retains the option to schedule one or two additional hearings if necessary, no decisions regarding extra hearings have been made thus far.
Should more hearings occur, a ruling is expected by mid-March, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
In past impeachment cases involving former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye, the court typically announced its verdicts about two weeks after the conclusion of oral arguments.
On February 11, six opposition parties proposed a special counsel bill to investigate claims against Yoon Suk Yeol related to an influence-peddling scandal associated with the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.
This scandal alleged that Myung Tae-kyun, a self-identified power broker, received around 76 million won ($54,400) from former ruling party lawmaker Rep. Kim Young-sun in exchange for aiding her nomination for the 2022 parliamentary elections.
Myung reportedly secured Kim Young-sun's nomination by conducting public opinion polls favorable to Yoon ahead of the 2022 presidential election.
The National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon due to his surprising, albeit brief, declaration of martial law on December 3. He faced indictment on charges of inciting an insurrection and was arrested.
Additionally, Yoon was accused of deploying military troops to the National Assembly to thwart lawmakers from voting against the martial law declaration and planning to detain significant political figures.
