Synopsis
On January 16, the South Korean Constitutional Court appointed former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and top military leaders as witnesses in President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial. The court rejected Yoon's request for a postponement, continuing with scheduled hearings and admitting key evidence related to martial law.Key Takeaways
- South Korean Constitutional Court appoints witnesses for Yoon's impeachment trial.
- Former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun among those selected.
- Scheduled hearings continue despite Yoon's absence.
- CCTV footage related to martial law admitted as evidence.
- Political uncertainty in South Korea following Yoon's actions.
Seoul, Jan 16 (NationPress) The Constitutional Court of South Korea has chosen former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun along with several high-ranking military officials as witnesses in the impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol during the second official hearing of the case.
Acting court President Moon Hyung-bae made this announcement at the scheduled court session, dismissing Yoon's plea for a delay. Yoon's legal team submitted this request the day before, pointing to his detention and questioning by investigators stemming from his brief imposition of martial law.
In the Thursday session, the court appointed former Defence Minister Kim; 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 as witnesses in the impeachment case.
Additional witnesses chosen included Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, chief of the Army Special Warfare Command; Lt. Gen. Lee Jin-woo, commander of the Capital Defence Command; and Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, head of the Defence Counterintelligence Command.
The Constitutional Court has also set three more hearings for February 6, 11, and 13, alongside three scheduled in between.
The court decided to accept CCTV footage depicting martial law forces entering or surveilling the National Assembly, the National Election Committee (NEC), and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik's residence during the night of the martial law announcement as evidence in the impeachment hearings.
Furthermore, the court approved Yoon's defence team's request for specific internal data from the NEC, relating to Yoon's assertions that electoral fraud was among the reasons he imposed martial law.
Yoon, who is currently in detention, did not attend the second hearing and also missed the first hearing on Tuesday, which lasted only four minutes, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Legally, the court has the authority to continue its deliberations with or without his presence starting from the second hearing.
Meanwhile, South Korea has entered a phase of political turmoil following Yoon's brief martial law declaration on December 3, 2024, and his subsequent impeachment on December 14, 2024.
