South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will attend a Constitutional Court hearing on Tuesday, where he may be given the opportunity to argue his case or answer questions over his impeachment trial. The court is reviewing whether to remove or reinstate Yoon, who has been accused of violating his constitutional duty.
Yoon’s lawyers say they will do their best to help him “make necessary statements” during the hearing. He may also face questioning from a Constitutional Court justice.
This marks a contrast with his response to a separate criminal investigation into whether he led an insurrection by seeking to impose martial law in early December, which shocked the nation and was overturned within hours by parliament.
Yoon’s legal team denies that he masterminded an insurrection, a crime punishable by life imprisonment or even death. The impeachment motion is seen as a political attack against Yoon by opposition parties abusing their parliamentary majority.
A mob of angry Yoon supporters went on a rampage through the district court that issued a warrant to extend his detention early on Sunday, prompting security measures at the Constitutional Court in central Seoul.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-yoon-attend-impeachment-trial-first-time-2025-01-21