South Korean Constitutional Court Begins Impeachment Trial for President Yoon Suk-yeol

The constitutional court of South Korea held its initial hearing regarding the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday. However, Yoon was notably absent from the proceedings. The court also declined Yoon's petition to eliminate a recently appointed justice, Jeong Gye-seon, from the case, which was one of the first formal actions taken in this impeachment process.

The hearing itself was short-lived, spanning around four minutes, as President Yoon did not show up. Yoon's legal team sought to have Justice Jeong disqualified from the hearings, arguing his appointment was influenced by the main opposition Democratic Party; nevertheless, this request was rejected by the court. The addition of Jeong and another new justice means that the nine-member court now has the capacity to review the impeachment seriously, which requires at least six justices to support the removal of Yoon from office.

Documented concerns for Yoon's safety led his defense team to announce his non-attendance at the hearing amidst a backdrop of ongoing legal challenges, including prior attempts to arrest him on insurrection charges. The impeachment motion passed by the National Assembly on December 14 is now being reviewed by the constitutional court, with a period of up to 180 days allocated for deliberation, during which Yoon's powers as president are on hold. Following the first hearing, the court has scheduled additional hearings for January and February to continue the proceedings regarding the impeachment.