Constitutional Court to Begin Impeachment Trial of President Yoon on December 27th
|The process to complete the impeachment of President Yoon by the Constitutional Court will begin on December 27th:
This composite image features the justices of the Constitutional Court who will deliberate on a parliamentary motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol. The justices are seen arriving for work at the court in Seoul on Monday. Clockwise from top left: Cheong Hyung-sik, Moon Hyung-bae, Kim Bok-hyeong, Chung Jung-mi, Lee Mi-sun and Kim Hyung-du. (Yonhap)
The Constitutional Court of Korea announced Monday that it would prioritize President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial, setting the first preparatory hearing for Dec. 27 at 2 p.m.
Lee Jin, director general for the Constitutional Court’s Public Information Office, said in a press briefing Monday that justices Lee Mi-sun and Jeong Hyung-sik have been chosen as the two lead justices to oversee the evidence examination and arguments.
The chief justice, who leads the ruling by drafting the resolution and preparing arguments, has not been disclosed by the court. The chief justice is selected through a random draw.
But according to news reports, Jeong, who was appointed as justice by Yoon in 2023, has been designated as chief justice.
It is not mandatory for the court to reveal the chief justice, but they did in 2017 with ex-President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment case, citing the “severity of the issue.”
The court has also formed a task force comprising 10 constitutional researchers, led by a senior researcher. It added that it would also secure investigation records from the prosecutors and police in advance.
Preparations are underway to deliver a copy of an impeachment trial bill to Yoon and request his reply, the court added, though it is not compulsory for Yoon to do so.
It is highly likely that Yoon does not show up at the Dec. 27 hearing since it is a preparatory procedure. But he must attend the public hearing of his trial and participate in the oral pleading. If he fails to appear, the date needs to be reset.
You can read more at the link.
Yoon’s fingers are all over South Korea’s most important institutions. He has gamed the system. Notice that three judges are missing since there should be nine constitutional judges. That’s because Yoon refused to approve the three judges which were the choices by the National Assembly.
So, Yoon followed the rules and used the powers granted to him as president but you are unhappy because you disagree with the outcome?
I am starting to see a pattern.