South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will give a closing statement on Tuesday in a Constitutional Court trial reviewing his impeachment for declaring martial law. If upheld, he could be removed from office less than three years into his term, with a new election required within 60 days.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is anticipated to deliver a closing statement on Tuesday in a Constitutional Court trial assessing his impeachment, as public hearings conclude and his political future is placed in the hands of eight judges.
Yoon risks being ousted from office less than three years into his five-year presidency if the court upholds parliament's impeachment, which accused him of declaring martial law on December 3 without valid constitutional justification.
The president has stated in his trial that he had the authority to declare martial law but never intended to enforce full military rule, instead asserting that he sought to issue a warning regarding the opposition Democratic Party's misuse of its parliamentary majority.
Yoon and the chairman of parliament's judiciary committee, Jung Chung-rae, will present their final statements on Tuesday at a hearing scheduled to commence at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT). The justices are expected to deliberate for several days before deciding whether to remove him from office or reinstate him.
Yoon has stated during the trial that martial law, which was in place for merely six hours before he revoked the decree, was not a failure but rather ended sooner than he had anticipated.
He also argued that it was futile to debate allegations that he instructed military commanders to storm parliament to expel lawmakers assembling to overturn the martial law decree, as "nothing actually happened" and no one was harmed.
Yoon’s reasoning prompted a rebuke from parliament, which asserted that the president is unfit to determine what constitutes a national emergency warranting such an extreme measure and that he could attempt to impose martial law again if reinstated.
His unexpected martial law declaration, which enforced a prohibition on political and parliamentary activity, sparked a constitutional crisis that also resulted in the impeachment of the prime minister, who was serving as acting president. The finance minister is currently leading the country.
Yoon is being held at the Seoul Detention Centre after being arrested in connection with a separate criminal case, in which he is accused of orchestrating an insurrection. The former prosecutor is the first sitting president to stand trial on criminal charges.
The Constitutional Court has not specified when it will issue its ruling on Yoon but has up to six months from December 14, when it registered the case following parliament's impeachment vote.
Former President Park Geun-hye was removed from office in 2017 by the Constitutional Court 11 days after the final arguments in her impeachment trial.
If Yoon is removed, a new presidential election must be conducted within 60 days.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling t...
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has urged Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign and ratify their peace agreement as soon as possible, calling it a...
Asian stocks plunged to their lowest level in more than two months on Tuesday as advances by Chinese chipmakers rattled investor confidence in the ...
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined high school students protesting outside a school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Tuesday, as a wave of student demonstrations continues across France.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a newly opened defence museum displaying weapons developed under his leadership, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are set to discuss measures to tackle transboundary haze during preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN summit in November, as forest and land fires in Indonesia continue to affect air quality across the region, the Philippines said on Tuesday.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the United Kingdom believes Iran was likely behind an alleged plot connected to RAF Fairford, a military airbase in Gloucestershire in England that has played a role in U.S. operations against Iran, escalating tensions between London and Tehran.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment