By The Straits Times | Created at 2025-01-21 03:52:30 | Updated at 2025-01-21 07:46:53
4 hours ago
SEOUL - South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is slated to appear at the the third hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court on Jan 21, where he is widely expected to offer an explanation of his controversial declaration of martial law on Dec 3.
Mr Yoon’s lawyers have confirmed the 64-year-old, who is under criminal investigation alongside the impeachment trial on insurrection and power abuse charges, will attend their hearing of the trial at 2pm.
The court will review evidence submitted by the National Assembly, which passed the motion for Mr Yoon’s impeachment last month, as Mr Yoon’s side will defend his controversial actions during the short-lived martial law.
The evidence submitted by the National Assembly include the minutes from the parliamentary committee meetings and the plenary session, media reports related to the martial law, and surveillance footage from the National Election Commission (NEC) and residence of Parliamentary Speaker Woo Won-shik.
Troops of the martial law command on Dec 3 and 4 sealed off the parliamentary compound, raided the NEC and gathered in front of Mr Woo’s residence.
Testimonies from arrested military commanders who acted under Mr Yoon’s command indicate that he instructed the arrests of Mr Woo and other prominent political leaders - including leaders of both ruling and main opposition parties - and outspoken critics of the president. Mr Yoon has been denying giving such orders.
An impeached president has never before made a personal appearance at the Constitutional Court. The confirmation of his appearance has fueled speculation that he will personally explain his actions and answer questions from the judges.
He has been staying silent during his ongoing criminal probe, refusing to take part in interrogations by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials while detained at the Seoul Detention Center since his arrest on Jan 15.
The Jan 21 hearing will be followed by former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun’s testimony to the Constitutional Court on Jan 23. Kim, the defense minister at the time of the martial law, was supposed to testify on Feb 6, but the court moved up the schedule due to a request made by Mr Yoon’s team.
Other suspected followers in the alleged insurrection led by Mr Yoon will also testify before the court, including National Police Agency chief Cho Ji-ho, the Army’s Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyeong, and Capital Defense Command chief Lee Jin-woo.
The Jan 21 hearing will also be the first time Mr Yoon has appeared in public since declaration of the martial law, apart from prerecorded video messages and statements.
While he has defended his actions against what he claimed “anti-state forces” and “election rigging” - of which no evidence has been found as of yet - through his legal team and statements, Mr Yoon has been refusing to speak directly to officials of the CIO, a part of a joint probe on Mr Yoon’s criminal charges.
The CIO on Jan 20 visited Mr Yoon at Seoul Detention Center to forcibly interrogate him, but failed due to persistent refusal by the president.
The agency can investigate him until Jan 28 before handing the case over to the prosecutors, who are expected to indict Mr Yoon around Feb 5. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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