Impeached South Korean President Attends Trial, Denies Charges, Sparking Political Tensions

Impeached South Korean President Attends Trial, Denies Charges

On January 21, 2025, impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the constitutional court's hearing of his impeachment trial. This marked the first time in the country's modern history that an impeached president attended the court hearing in person.

Yoon arrived at the court in a convoy escorted by the Presidential Security Service from the Seoul Detention Center, where he has been held in custody since the previous Wednesday. He denied all charges related to his martial law imposition.

Yoon's lawyers argued that the special forces troops sent to parliament on December 3 were not there to disable the legislature or prevent it from blocking his martial law declaration. They claimed that the declaration was meant to sound the alarm over abuses committed by the opposition Democratic Party.

Experts believe that Yoon's court appearance may be just an initial step in the impeachment proceedings. They expect the legal battle to continue for several more rounds. As the trial progresses, tensions between the ruling and opposition parties are likely to escalate, further deepening political fragmentation in the country.

Some far-right YouTubers and media outlets have amplified conspiracy theories about Chinese interference in Korea's elections, even citing baseless claims to support President Yoon's narrative. However, experts believe that hyping up the China factor for political manipulation is a tactic often used by South Korea's far-right forces and is unwise and outdated.

China has already expressed its clear opposition to hyping Chinese elements in South Korea's domestic politics. Yet, some in South Korea continue to make sensational narratives on topics related to China, unjustly dragging China into their affairs and tarnishing its image. This behavior is irresponsible and detrimental to bilateral relations.