South Korea: Yoon to Appear at Impeachment Hearing Again on Thursday

Synopsis

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend his impeachment trial for the second time this week at the Constitutional Court. The hearing will also feature testimony from former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who faces charges related to the martial law declaration attempt.

Key Takeaways

Yoon Suk Yeol's second appearance at the Constitutional Court.
Denial of martial law orders during the impeachment trial.
Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to testify.
Yoon detained amid ongoing investigations.
Increased police presence at courts for security.

Seoul, Jan 22 (NationPress) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to make his second appearance at the Constitutional Court for his impeachment trial this week, according to an official from Yoon's legal team on Wednesday.

Yoon is slated to attend the hearing at the Constitutional Court on Thursday, as reported by the Yonhap News Agency. During the hearing on Tuesday, Yoon refuted claims that he had ordered martial law troops to remove lawmakers from the National Assembly amid his brief attempt to impose martial law.

The legal representatives for the impeached president have stated that Yoon intends to participate in all forthcoming hearings whenever possible.

Thursday's proceedings will also include testimony from former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who was arrested last month for his suspected involvement in the implementation of martial law. Yoon's legal team has selected him as a witness for questioning during the trial.

Kim will be interrogated by Yoon's attorneys first, followed by the legal representatives from the National Assembly, who act as the trial’s prosecutors.

If permitted by acting court President Moon Hyung-bae, Yoon may also have the opportunity to question Kim.

Currently, Yoon is held in the Seoul Detention Centre, following a court’s decision to grant law enforcement a warrant for his formal arrest on Sunday, as part of an investigation into his unsuccessful attempt to declare martial law on December 3, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

Earlier, South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok declared that police officers would be present at courts, including the Constitutional Court, around the clock to maintain security amid rising tensions following Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment.

This announcement follows an incident where supporters of the impeached president invaded the Seoul Western District Court on Sunday, causing property damage in protest against the court’s decision to formally arrest Yoon due to his brief martial law declaration on December 3.

An opposition-led parliamentary committee has summoned impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and six other individuals linked to his martial law declaration to testify at the National Assembly.

The special committee investigating Yoon’s insurrection allegations issued these orders after Yoon, alongside former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and five other military officials, failed to appear despite being scheduled for the committee's initial hearing. The orders mandated their attendance by 2 p.m.