South Korean Court Schedules Additional Hearing for Yoon’s Impeachment Trial

SEOUL:
The South Korean Constitutional Court said on Thursday it will hold an additional hearing for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial next week.

The ninth formal hearing will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday to hear arguments from Yoon’s side and the National Assembly’s side for two hours each.

The court will also “examine evidence that was adopted but not examined today,” South Korean acting court President Moon Hyung-bae said during the eighth hearing at the court.

He did not say whether more hearings could be scheduled after the ninth, or when they would wrap up.

Yoon’s side has requested the appearance of six more witnesses, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho.

A meeting of justices is scheduled for Friday, where they are expected to decide whether to accept the request.

If additional witnesses are called, more hearings could be necessary, pushing back the court’s verdict on Yoon’s impeachment to mid-March.

Otherwise, the court could deliver its ruling in early March, Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier on February 11, six opposition parties proposed a special counsel bill to investigate allegations against impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s influence-peddling scandal linked to the parliamentary by-elections in 2022.

The scandal involved allegations that Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed power broker, took approximately 76 million won ($54,400) from former ruling party lawmaker Rep. Kim Young-sun in exchange for his help in getting her nominated for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.

Myung allegedly won Kim Young-sun’s nomination in exchange for conducting public opinion polls favourable to Yoon ahead of the 2022 presidential election.

The National Assembly had voted to impeach Yoon over his shocking, albeit short-lived, imposition of martial law on December 3. He was indicted on charges of leading an insurrection and had been arrested.

Yoon was also alleged to have sent military troops to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting down the martial law declaration and to have planned to arrest key political figures.