Constitutional Court to hold first hearing over Yoon's martial law attempt

By Im Yoon-seo Posted : December 26, 2024, 16:44 Updated : December 26, 2024, 16:55
 
A pedestrian passes by the Constitutional Court of Korea in Seoul on Dec. 26, 2024. Yonhap
SEOUL, December 26 (AJP) - The Constitutional Court of Korea is set to hold its first hearing on Friday on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his abrupt declaration of martial law earlier this month.

The hearing comes about two weeks after the National Assembly passed a motion to impeach him on Dec. 14.

Such a public hearing is a preparatory procedure to discuss how the court will proceed with its deliberations to determine whether to impeach or reinstate the president.

If the court upholds the National Assembly's decision, Yoon will become the second South Korean president to be removed from office by impeachment, following Park Geun-hye's ouster in 2017. 

The court said Thursday that the hearing will proceed as scheduled, although Yoon has not submitted his response outlining his defense plans, nor provided documents related to his short-lived martial law attempt or the minutes of Cabinet meetings.

Meanwhile, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), an independent agency established to root out corruption in the government, issued its third summons for Yoon to appear for questioning on Sunday.

But Yoon is widely expected to dismiss the summons once again, as he previously said that the court's impeachment trial takes priority and that he needs more time to form his legal defense team.

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