Constitutional Court sets additional hearing date for Yoon's impeachment trial

By Park Sae-jin Posted : February 13, 2025, 17:43 Updated : February 14, 2025, 23:54
President Yoon Suk Yeol (fart left) speaks at a hearing for his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court of Korea in Seoul on Feb. 13, 2025. Yonhap
SEOUL, February 13 (AJP) - The Constitutional Court of Korea on Friday scheduled an additional hearing for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial over his botched martial law debacle last December.

The hearing, the ninth of its kind will be held at 2 p.m. next Tuesday.

Yoon's legal representatives complained that the court is rushing the proceedings "unlawfully and unfairly" without providing sufficient time for his defense.

They also made repeated requests to summon additional witnesses including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who has been suspended from his post, to explain their position related to the Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. They then warned that they would have to "make a serious decision otherwise," though they did not clarify what that would mean.

But once the court wraps up the hearings next week, it will begin its deliberation to determine whether to impeach or reinstate the president, which normally takes about two weeks, meaning that any decision is expected to be made by early March.

Should the impeachment be upheld, Yoon would be ousted from office, leading to a snap presidential election within 60 days.

Yoon is also facing a separate criminal trial on charges of insurrection and abuse of power, with the trial scheduled to begin next Thursday.

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