The primary listening to for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial takes place on the Constitutional Courtroom in Jongno District, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial on the Constitutional Courtroom bought off to a rocky begin as the primary formal listening to on Tuesday ended after simply 4 minutes resulting from his absence.
The listening to, which began at 2 p.m., concluded shortly after confirming the attendance of representatives for each events. Yoon’s protection staff and the authorized representatives of the Nationwide Meeting’s impeachment investigation committee, appearing because the prosecution, have been current.
The court docket mentioned the second listening to, set for two p.m. on Thursday, will proceed even when the embattled chief fails to point out up.
Though Yoon is anticipated to attend the hearings, his presence shouldn’t be obligatory. Beneath related legal guidelines, the second and subsequent hearings could proceed with out his attendance.
After the second session, three further hearings are scheduled for Jan. 21, 23 and Feb. 4
Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kap-keun, mentioned earlier that the president will skip the primary session, citing safety considerations and the potential for detention. The president, who has been suspended from performing his duties, has barricaded himself inside his closely guarded residence in Seoul as investigators put together to execute a detention warrant over rebel costs.
The primary listening to got here after Yoon was impeached by the Nationwide Meeting on Dec. 14 final 12 months over his transient martial regulation declaration earlier that month. Individually, he’s beneath prison investigation for rebel costs associated to the emergency army rule, which lasted for under six hours resulting from pushback from parliament.
Justice Jung Gye-sun attends the primary listening to for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial on the Constitutional Courtroom in Jongno District, Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
Throughout Tuesday’s session, the Constitutional Courtroom dismissed a petition filed by Yoon’s attorneys searching for to take away Justice Jung Gye-sun.
„This was a unanimous determination made by the remaining seven justices,“ appearing Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae mentioned.
Yoon’s protection staff had argued that Jung’s affiliation with a progressive-leaning group of justices and her husband’s affiliation with public lawfirm GongGam — whose chairman is a part of the Nationwide Meeting’s impeachment authorized staff — increase doubts about her neutrality.
The court docket additionally dismissed one other objection from Yoon’s authorized staff relating to the scheduling of 5 hearings concurrently, which they argued compromised the president’s proper to a correct protection.
Moon mentioned the scheduling was totally according to the constitutional regulation and the related articles.
President Yoon Suk Yeol’s lawyer, Yoon Hole-keun, attends the primary impeachment trial listening to on the Constitutional Courtroom in Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps
The president’s attorneys expressed discontent with the court docket’s determination.
„I deeply remorse that the court docket dismissed the petition for the recusal (of Jung) and not using a legitimate cause. That is neither based mostly on authorized ideas nor according to equity and customary sense,“ the lawyer advised reporters following the listening to.
Lim Ji-bong, a constitutional regulation professor at Sogang College, described the protection staff’s submitting of a number of petitions as a deliberate technique to delay the trial and purchase time till the political local weather turns into extra favorable for Yoon.
„Their petitions lack authorized grounds, as demonstrated by the court docket’s swift dismissal. Yoon’s protection staff, which consists largely of former prosecutors specializing in prison regulation, appears to lack thorough information of constitutional regulation and proceedings,“ Lim advised The Korea Instances.
„Their calls to recuse Justice Jung lacked reasoning as members of the progressive-leaning justices‘ group have served on the bench earlier than with out points. There have been no circumstances the place the court docket accepted a petition for the recusal of a sure justice,“ the professor added.
Yoon’s absence from Tuesday’s listening to has additionally drawn backlash, with critics viewing the transfer as inconsistent together with his earlier stance of confronting the results of his actions.
In a public handle on Dec. 12 final 12 months, the president vowed to not shirk authorized or political duties arising from his imposition of martial regulation and promised to „face the results,“ whether or not he’s impeached or investigated.
Folks maintain a press convention close to the Constitutional Courtroom in Seoul, Tuesday, calling on the court docket to uphold President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment. Yonhap
