South Korea's Constitutional Court's judges (from left) Chung Kye-sun, Kim Bok-hyeong, Jung Jung-mi, Lee Mi-son, acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae, Kim Hyung-du, Cheong Hyung-sik and Cho Han-chang sit for the first formal hearing of a trial on the validity of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment by the National Assembly at the constitutional court of Korea in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025. -- Kim Min-Hee/Photo via AP
SEOUL (Bernama-Yonhap): The first hearing in South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial was adjourned after just four minutes on Tuesday due to his absence, Yonhap news agency reported according to the Constitutional Court.
Acting Court President Moon Hyung Bae announced that the trial would proceed as scheduled, regardless of Yoon’s attendance, with the next session set for Thursday at 2 pm.
The impeachment trial stems from Yoon’s controversial imposition of martial law on Dec 3, which led to his suspension after the National Assembly’s vote.
Yoon cited safety concerns for his decision not to attend the hearing amid investigations into allegations of insurrection and abuse of power.
The court rejected Yoon’s request to exclude Justice Chung Kye Sun, with the remaining seven justices unanimously ruling that her involvement would not affect the trial’s fairness.
Yoon’s legal team had raised concerns about Chung’s previous leadership of a progressive law research group.
Moon also dismissed Yoon’s objection to the court pre-scheduling five hearing dates, stating that the process complies with Constitutional Court protocols.
The court has until June 11 to decide whether to uphold or reject the impeachment.
If upheld, Yoon will be removed from office, triggering a snap presidential election within 60 days. If dismissed, he will resume his presidency. - Bernama-Yonhap
