Submit a comment
The final hearing in the impeachment proceedings of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has begun in Seoul, where the president will explain his decision to declare martial law.
The final hearing in the impeachment proceedings against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol began in Seoul on February 25, Yonhap news agency reported. President Yoon Suk Yeol was not present when the hearing began, but is expected to be present at the end of the session.
The hearing began with a review of the evidence and the presentation of closing arguments from both Yoon Suk Yeol's legal team and the National Assembly, which is acting as the prosecutor in the case.
Yoon Suk Yeol and opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Jung Chung Rai, who is the plaintiff in Yoon's case as chairman of the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee, will have unlimited time to present their closing arguments in the hearing.
President Yoon is expected to explain the circumstances that led to his sudden declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, and assert that the investigation conducted by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Office (CIO) and the prosecution was illegal.
According to the plan, after the hearing, the judges of the Constitutional Court will conduct deliberations to make a final decision on the impeachment.
If the court upholds the National Assembly's decision to impeach the president, Mr. Yoon will have to leave office less than three years into his five-year term. The verdict is expected in mid-March. If Mr. Yoon is convicted, South Korea will hold a presidential election within 60 days.
TH (according to VNA)