Seoul: The final hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial will be held next week, the Constitutional Court announced Thursday, which increases the likelihood of a verdict being delivered in mid-March.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the hearing is set for 2 p.m. on Tuesday. During this session, the legal teams representing both the National Assembly and President Yoon will present their closing arguments. The parliament and the president will also give their final statements, as stated by acting court President Moon Hyung-bae during the 10th hearing. This timeline mirrors the impeachment rulings of former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye, who received their verdicts approximately two weeks after their final hearings.
The Constitutional Court will determine whether to remove President Yoon from office or reinstate him after his impeachment by the National Assembly due to his brief imposition of martial law in December. Yoon faces accusations of violating the Constitution and laws by declaring martial law without legitimate grounds. However, he defends his actions as a legitimate governance measure intended to caution opposition parties against what he viewed as their misuse of legislative power.
During a rally in central Seoul, Yoon's lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, conveyed a message from the president, declaring, "I will quickly return to duty and lead the Republic of Korea with the power of intergenerational unity."
Should Yoon be removed from office, South Korea will be required to hold a snap presidential election within 60 days.
At the hearing on Thursday, the court heard testimonies from three key witnesses: impeached Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Hong Jang-won, the former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, and Cho Ji-ho, the commissioner general of the National Police Agency.
Prime Minister Han expressed that he and other Cabinet members were apprehensive about Yoon's martial law plan and attempted to dissuade him before its announcement on December 3. Han recalled, "As I recall, all (Cabinet members) were concerned and tried to dissuade him," referring to an urgent meeting of some Cabinet ministers ahead of Yoon's unexpected imposition of martial law.
When questioned about former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun's testimony that some members supported Yoon's plan, Han countered, "From what I recall, that was not the case at all."
Former intelligence official Hong was interrogated by Yoon's legal team regarding the authenticity of a memo he claimed to have taken during a phone call with a military commander on the night of December 3. The memo reportedly listed politicians and others whom the president allegedly wanted arrested.
Police chief Cho refrained from answering most questions, citing his own criminal trial on insurrection charges associated with the martial law attempt.