South Korea’s Constitutional Court has started reviewing the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol following his martial law declaration on December 3.
The country’s lawmakers had on December 14, impeached Yoon after voting 204-85 to remove him from office. The vote however is subject to a review by the court, before his removal is finalized.
The review, announced on Monday, marks the beginning of a process to determine whether Yoon will be removed from office as investigators prepare to question him on related criminal charges.
In a press conference on Monday, the court’s spokesperson, Lee Jean, stated that the first public hearing is set for December 27.
“The first hearing will be ‘preparatory’ to confirm major legal issues of the case and the schedule, among other matters,” Lee said.
She also clarified that Yoon is not required to attend the initial hearing, adding that the constitutional court, made up of six justices, has a timeline of about six months to reach a decision.
In the last impeachment case in the country, the court 2017 took three months to remove then-President Park Geun-hye from office following her impeachment for abusing presidential powers.
Yoon’s impeachment was successful in its second attempt after his party, the People Power Party (PPP), boycotted the voting process.
The opposition party, the Democratic Party (DP), which makes up the majority members of the parliament and other lawmakers, accused Yoon of insurrection and “abandoning his duty to protect the constitution.”
Following his impeachment, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve as acting leader during the Constitutional Court’s deliberation on the impeachment.
However, Yoon will remain in office in a limited capacity until the court reaches a decision.
He alongside other senior officials also faces potential charges of insurrection linked to the brief imposition of martial law.
A joint investigative team, including members from the police, the defence ministry, and an anti-corruption agency, plans to summon Yoon on Wednesday for questioning.
But the presidential security service is expected to decline the summons, according to Yonhap News.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court Begins Review Of President Yoon’s Impeachment is first published on The Whistler Newspaper