Yoon's trial enters final stage, verdict expected in March
President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial entered its final stage this week, with just two formal hearings remaining, and legal circles expecting the verdict would be out in mid-March.
The Constitutional Court will hold the seventh and eighth hearings on Tuesday and Thursday, questioning eight witnesses. While further hearings may be scheduled, it is likely that the court will conclude proceedings by the end of February and issue a decision on Yoon's impeachment in March.
On Monday, the court's press officer Cheon Jae-hyun told reporters that 'no additional hearings are planned as of now.'
But some predict that at least two more sessions could be added, summoning impeached Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Defense Counterintelligence Command officer Lee Kyung-min, who have yet to give testimony.
Until now, the country's top court has held two preliminary hearings and six formal hearings since the National Assembly impeached Yoon over his Dec. 3 martial law declaration on Dec. 14 last year.
Yoon has attended every hearing since the third session on Jan. 21.
The court has examined the procedures for declaring martial law, details of Proclamation No. 1, military intervention in the National Election Commission, Yoon's attempt to seize control of the National Assembly, and efforts to detain politicians.
Witnesses so far have included former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and three key commanders involved in the controversial Dec. 3 martial law declaration.
On Tuesday, the court will question former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, National Security Office Chief Shin Won-sik, former NIS Deputy Director Baek Jong-wook, and NEC Secretary-General Kim Yong-bin.
On Thursday, the court will hear from four more witnesses: Police Chief Cho Ji-ho, former Seoul Police Chief Kim Bong-sik, NIS Director Cho Tae-yong, and Capital Defense Command's 1st Security Battalion Commander Cho Sung-hyun.
Among the remaining witnesses, Baek Jong-wook's testimony is likely to be crucial, as Yoon's defense team is expected to emphasize allegations of election fraud during his questioning.
Whether such claim is true or relevant to the martial law declaration criteria, the Constitutional Court has already dismissed requests from Yoon's team to examine voter numbers and audit the NEC server.
After completing witness examinations, the court is likely to set a separate date for Yoon's final statement.
In previous impeachment trials, the court held two hearings following the conclusion of witness testimonies in the case of former President Roh Moo-hyun and one hearing for former President Park Geun-hye.
The court issued its verdict two weeks after final arguments in Roh's case and 11 days later in Park's case.
Based on this precedent, a decision on Yoon's impeachment is expected by mid-March, approximately three months after the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion. This timeline is similar to Park's case (91 days) but longer than Roh's (63 days).
Meanwhile, Yoon's legal team is reportedly trying to delay the proceedings, having already requested to reduce the frequency of hearings to once a week.
They may also ask to halt the trial based on the Article 51 of the Constitutional Court Act, which allows the court to pause impeachment proceedings if a criminal trial involving the same allegations is ongoing.
The first preliminary hearing for Yoon's criminal case on charges of leading an insurrection is scheduled for Feb. 20.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
9 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Over 370,000 sign petition to expel Lee Jun-seok over misogynistic remark
Over 370,000 South Koreans had signed an online petition calling for Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the minor New Reform Party to be expelled from the National Assembly as of Sunday afternoon. The petition came after Lee cited a controversial misogynistic remark during a televised presidential debate on May 27, ahead of the June 3 presidential election. The number of people who had signed the petition stood at 375,346 as of around 5 p.m. Sunday, gaining supporters at a rapid pace just four days after it was posted on the National Assembly's petition page on June 4. The petition calls on the Assembly to review Lee's qualifications as a lawmaker and take disciplinary action against him, arguing that he 'betrayed the people's trust and damaged the dignity of a member of the National Assembly.' The petition is expected to be reviewed by the Assembly, as it garnered more than 50,000 signatures. If more than 50,000 people support a petition within 30 days of it being made public, it is considered valid and is deliberated by the relevant standing committee of the National Assembly. However, under the Constitution, expelling a member from the National Assembly requires the consent of at least two-thirds of all sitting members. The unnamed petitioner claimed that Lee, who was the New Reform Party's presidential candidate in the June 3 election, committed verbal sexual violence when he cited inappropriate language that depicted violence against women. 'Legislators are the representatives of all citizens. This means that a National Assembly member must engage in legislative activities aimed at eliminating discrimination, hatred against minorities and upholding the dignified lives of the people," the petitioner said, requesting that the National Assembly expel Lee from office for violating Article 155 of the National Assembly Act. The article stipulates that the assembly may take disciplinary action against lawmakers who violate general ethics principles for National Assembly members or rules governing their ethical practice. "But his inappropriate, violent language and his irresponsible attitude in justifying his actions severely undermined people's trust and damaged the dignity expected of a National Assembly member,' the petitioner added.
Korea Herald
14 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Over 350,000 sign petition to expel Lee Jun-seok over misogynistic remark
Over 350,000 South Koreans as of Sunday morning had signed an online petition calling for the expulsion of Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the minor conservative New Reform Party from the National Assembly. The petition came after Lee made a controversial misogynistic remark during a televised presidential debate on May 27, ahead of the June 3 presidential election. The petition, posted on the National Assembly's petition page on May 28, called on the parliament to review Lee's qualifications as a lawmaker and take disciplinary action against Lee, as 'he betrayed people's trust and damaged the dignity of a member of the National Assembly.' The petition is expected to be reviewed by the Assembly, as it garnered more than 50,000 signatures. If more than 50,000 people support a petition within 30 days of it being made public, it is considered valid and is deliberated by the relevant standing committee of the National Assembly. However, under the Constitution, expelling a member from the National Assembly requires the consent of at least two-thirds of all sitting members. The unnamed petitioner claimed that Lee, who was a presidential candidate of the New Reform Party in the June 3 election, committed verbal sexual violence by using inappropriate language that depicted violence against women. 'Legislators are the representatives of all citizens. This means that a National Assembly member must engage in legislative activities aimed at eliminating discrimination, hatred against minorities and upholding the dignified lives of the people," the petitioner said, requesting the National Assembly to expel Lee from office for violating Article 155 of the National Assembly Act. The article stipulates that the assembly may take disciplinary action against lawmakers who violate general ethics principles for the National Assembly member or rules governing the ethical practice of members of the National Assembly. "But his inappropriate, violent language and his irresponsible attitude in justifying his actions severely undermined people's trust and damaged the dignity expected of a National Assembly member,' the petitioner added.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Bills to probe Yoon, wife pass National Assembly
Bill on suspected interference in investigation of Marine's death also passed; Presidential office says 'there is very little reason' to veto them The ruling Democratic Party of Korea-controlled National Assembly on Thursday passed contentious bills mandating special counsel probes into charges and scandals surrounding former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee. Three probe bills reintroduced by the Democratic Party were approved during a parliamentary plenary vote held in the afternoon. One pushes to launch a permanent special counsel to investigate 11 charges tied to Yoon's failed martial bid in December; another seeks to mainly investigate Kim's alleged inappropriate interference in the People Power Party's candidate nomination process in previous general and by-elections as well as her luxury bag scandal; the third looks into the allegations that the Yoon administration interfered in the military's investigation into a young Marine's death in 2023. All three bills were passed in a 194-3 vote with one abstention, in a package deal. The move came a day after President Lee Jae-myung, who was the Democratic Party Chair, was sworn into office. He won Tuesday's early election, securing 49.42 percent of the vote against his rival and People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, who saw 41.15 percent. Lee was highly likely to approve and endorse the bills, as an official at the presidential office said, 'there is very little reason' to veto them, with all three 'receiving People's support,' in a press briefing after the plenary vote. People Power Party, which became the main opposition party on Wednesday, highlighted its party line against the passage of the bills ahead of the plenary vote. The majority of the party lawmakers boycotted all three votes. All three bills passed on Thursday had previous versions that were scrapped by former President Yoon's veto power. The bill mandating a permanent special counsel investigation against Yoon will look into 11 different charges tied to his martial law bid, including insurrection and military mutiny. The previous versions of the bill were vetoed and scrapped twice. The latest version expanded the scope of the charges from six to 11. Special counsel candidates will be nominated by the Democratic Party and the minor liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, from the parliament's side. The bill also eases regulations to access presidential archives. It lowers the threshold from the current approval needed from two-thirds of lawmakers or from a high court chief judge to three-fifths of the Assembly or permission from a district court chief judge. The bill concerning the first lady will look into her alleged role in a stock manipulation scandal as well as the inappropriate acceptance of a luxury bag from a Korean-American pastor and election-related scandals involving political broker Myung Tae-kyun. An amendment passed alongside the bills expands the scope of the number of assistant special prosecutors from four to seven and raises the cap on dispatched prosecutors from 40 to 60.
