South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol faced the Constitutional Court on Tuesday as hearings commenced to determine his official removal from office. The former prosecutor caused significant political unrest when he enacted martial law on December 3, which involved suspending civilian governance and deploying soldiers to parliament.
Yoon’s martial law declaration, however, was short-lived and lasted only about six hours, as an opposition-led parliament voted against it amid the presence of armed troops. This move ultimately led to his impeachment.
In a related criminal investigation, Yoon was arrested in January on charges of insurrection, marking a historic moment as he became the first sitting president in South Korea’s history to be detained. Currently held in detention, he has been participating in impeachment proceedings that will decide the fate of his presidency.
If the Constitutional Court confirms his impeachment, a new presidential election must occur within 60 days. On Tuesday, a procession of black SUVs transported Yoon to court for the scheduled hearing at 2:00 PM local time.
During previous sessions, Yoon refuted allegations that he ordered military leaders to forcibly remove lawmakers from parliament to prevent a vote against his martial law decree, a claim opposed by members of the opposition. He contended that his brief martial law declaration was not a failure but rather an unexpected conclusion.
Witnesses for the hearing included two former military leaders and an ex-official from the national intelligence agency. One of them testified that he received directives to arrest politicians, contradicting Yoon’s denial of such orders.
Yoon, 64, was indicted in January amidst accusations of being the orchestrator of the insurrection. He faces a separate criminal trial concerning these charges, which fall outside the scope of presidential immunity. A conviction could lead to severe penalties, potentially including imprisonment or death.
