Synopsis
The criminal trial for impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on insurrection charges is set to commence on April 14. Key witnesses, including Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, will testify. This follows the dismissal of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's impeachment by the Constitutional Court.Key Takeaways
- Trial for Yoon Suk Yeol begins April 14
- Charges include inciting an insurrection
- Witnesses include Deputy PM Choi and FM Cho
- Constitutional Court reinstates PM Han
- Impeachment motion dismissed by justices
Seoul, March 24 (NationPress) The criminal trial of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol concerning insurrection charges is set to officially commence on April 14, as confirmed by a court on Monday.
The Seoul Central District Court revealed the date during the second pretrial session, indicating that the initial formal hearing will address allegations that Yoon incited an insurrection via his brief declaration of martial law in December.
Witnesses requested by the prosecution, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, are expected to testify at the inaugural hearing, according to the court.
Prior to Yoon's martial law declaration on December 3, both Choi and Cho expressed their concerns to him, as noted in the prosecution's indictment.
In contrast to the first pretrial session, Yoon did not appear in court on Monday. Attendance is not mandatory for preparatory hearings, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Earlier that day, South Korea's Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, restoring him as acting President amidst the ongoing upheaval regarding Yoon's brief imposition of martial law.
The court's eight justices voted 5-1 to dismiss Han's impeachment, with two justices opposing the motion entirely.
This ruling followed three months after the National Assembly impeached the Prime Minister and then acting President due to his supposed involvement in Yoon's December 3 martial law declaration, among other allegations.
Four of the five justices who voted to dismiss Han's impeachment recognized constitutional violations in his decision to delay the appointment of additional justices but concluded it did not warrant his removal from office.
As the sole justice supporting the impeachment, Justice Chung Kye-sun asserted that the violations were serious enough to justify dismissal.
She also highlighted significant breaches of related laws regarding Han's failure to swiftly seek candidate recommendations for a permanent special counsel to investigate the insurrection claims against Yoon.
The six justices who either dismissed or upheld the impeachment found no evidence supporting the National Assembly's claims that Han proactively legitimized Yoon's martial law declaration, such as holding a Cabinet meeting prior to its announcement.
