The trial on January 14 took place exactly one month after Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the Korean parliament on December 14, 2024. Yonhap reported that because Mr. Yoon was not present, the hearing ended early after only 4 minutes. The second trial will take place on January 16 and the court will continue the trial regardless of whether Mr. Yoon appears or not.
The first hearing of the Korean Constitutional Court on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol
Mr. Yoon’s lawyers had previously said that the president would not attend the hearing due to concerns about personal safety, as South Korean investigators tried to arrest Mr. Yoon on sedition charges. and abuse of power related to the martial law decree issued by Mr. Yoon in early December 2024.
In addition, Mr. Yoon’s lawyer requested that Judge Chung Kye-sun be removed from the list of 8 judges hearing the impeachment case, on the grounds that Ms. Yoon used to be the leader of a radical law research group. Mr. Yoon’s side is concerned that it may affect the making of a fair judgment. However, this request was rejected by the remaining 7 judges.
From December 14, 2024, the Korean Constitutional Court will have 180 days to hear and decide whether to uphold the decision to impeach and remove Mr. Yoon, or reinstate the Korean president.
The South Korean president’s security leader did not comply with the arrest order
In another development, police and officials from the Korean anti-corruption agency met on January 13 to discuss plans to arrest Mr. Yoon for the second time, after the first time being hindered by presidential protection forces.
In addition, on January 14, the Korean Ministry of National Defense pledged not to mobilize units to protect the presidential palace to hinder the second arrest warrant. The first attempt to arrest Mr. Yoon failed when investigating officials encountered obstacles. resistance from the Presidential Security Service (PSS), the force affirmed its stance that it has the obligation to protect the president.
