Synopsis
On February 1, 2023, President Yoon Suk Yeol's legal team filed a request for the recusal of three justices in his impeachment case, citing concerns over their impartiality and potential political bias. The Constitutional Court is expected to address this request amid ongoing scrutiny regarding judicial independence.Key Takeaways
- Yoon Suk Yeol's legal team has requested the recusal of three justices.
- Concerns were raised about potential political bias by the justices.
- The Constitutional Court's independence is under scrutiny.
- Yoon met with aides at the Seoul Detention Centre.
- Calls for a special counsel investigation continue.
Seoul, Feb 1 (NationPress) The legal representatives of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol have formally requested the Constitutional Court to exclude three justices from his impeachment proceedings, citing worries about their impartiality. On Friday, Yoon's team called for the recusal of Justice Moon Hyung-bae, Justice Lee Mi-seon, and Justice Chung Gye-seon, alleging potential political bias.
They raised concerns regarding Moon, the acting chief justice, who previously interacted on social media with Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main Opposition Democratic Party, suggesting possible political bias. Yoon's team also highlighted Lee's familial connections, as her brother is a vice chairman of a committee demanding the President's resignation.
In the case of Chung, worries were expressed over her husband, a lawyer, who publicly called for Yoon's impeachment. Yoon's legal team argued that the justices' biases have influenced the court's approach to the case, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Many legal experts believe the Constitutional Court may not grant this request, given its recent concerns over accusations that challenge its judicial independence.
Earlier on Friday, the South Korean Cabinet called on the National Assembly to reconsider an Opposition-backed bill proposing a special counsel investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding his controversial martial law declaration last month.
This motion was approved in a Cabinet meeting led by acting President Choi Sang-mok, who stressed that there was insufficient cause for appointing a special counsel since Yoon had already been arrested and indicted on insurrection charges.
President Yoon also convened a meeting with senior aides at the Seoul Detention Centre on Friday, encouraging them to persevere in their duties.
This was the first visit by Yoon's associates since his detention on January 19 over allegations related to insurrection and abuse of power associated with his short-lived martial law.
Previously, on January 28, Yoon defended his decision to implement martial law during discussions with his legal counsel, facing accusations of conspiring with former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun to incite an insurrection on December 3 by declaring an unlawful state of emergency, despite no indications of war or national crisis.
