South Korea initiates impeachment proceedings against Mr. Yoon.

Yesterday, the South Korean Constitutional Court held its first hearing to begin the impeachment process against Yoon Suk Yeol, the country's 13th president, while investigators continued to summon him for testimony related to the declaration of martial law.

Priority processing

According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee Jean, spokesperson for the South Korean Constitutional Court, announced yesterday that the first hearing to gather investigative documents from relevant parties and confirm the proceedings will take place on December 27. Earlier, the National Assembly passed a bill to impeach Yoon for declaring martial law earlier this month, accusing him of rebellion. Yoon was suspended from his duties, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo became acting president while the case was referred to the Constitutional Court for review.

Police stand outside the South Korean Constitutional Court in Seoul on December 16.

If six out of nine members of the court declare him guilty, Mr. Yoon will lose his position, and a presidential election will be held 60 days later. Conversely, he will continue his presidential term. Currently, the Constitutional Court has three vacant seats, meaning all six remaining judges must vote in favor for Mr. Yoon to be impeached. However, legal experts believe it is unlikely the court will deliver a crucial ruling like this without sufficient judges. Therefore, it is likely the court will request the National Assembly to elect additional judges. According to The Korea Times , the parties have nominated judicial candidates, and the confirmation process is expected to be completed by the end of this month.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been impeached.

According to procedure, the court has six months to decide, and Judge Lee said she would prioritize handling the case. In the two most recent impeachment cases against President Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and President Park Geun-hye in 2016, the court took two and three months, respectively, to deliver its verdict. This time, the court is expected to issue a ruling before the end of April 2025, before the two judges retire.

Promote investigation

In other developments, prosecutors yesterday continued to summon Mr. Yoon for questioning in the criminal investigation into allegations of rebellion and abuse of power related to the declaration of martial law. Over the weekend, the leader had refused a similar request, citing insufficient legal representation, according to Yonhap.

At least four separate investigations into Mr. Yoon are underway simultaneously, involving the prosecution, police, the government's anti-corruption office, and the Ministry of Defense . Yesterday, a joint investigation team from the remaining three agencies also sent a summons to Mr. Yoon, but the presidential security forces refused to accept it. If Mr. Yoon continues to be uncooperative, investigators may request a court-ordered arrest warrant.

Currently, the leader is banned from leaving the country, and if convicted of rebellion, he faces a very long prison sentence. Historically, two former South Korean presidents, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, were tried for treason and rebellion related to the suppression of protests in the 1980s. Both were sentenced after leaving office and later pardoned.

The North Korean state news agency KCNA reported yesterday on December 14th that the South Korean parliament impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, calling the leader a "rebellious leader." KCNA detailed the events leading up to the impeachment and criticized Yoon for attempting to shift blame onto the opposition and denying the rebellion allegations.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/han-quoc-khoi-dong-quy-trinh-luan-toi-ong-yoon-18524121622210801.htm