South Korea’s Constitutional Court announced on Thursday that impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol will have another hearing next week before judges decide whether to formally remove him from office over his controversial martial law decree.
Despite weeks of hearings, Yoon has remained defiant, blaming what he calls a malicious opposition for his failed attempt in December to suspend civilian rule.
The impeachment process was triggered after South Korea’s opposition-led parliament swiftly voted to reject Yoon’s martial law declaration, leading to his removal and subsequent arrest on insurrection charges. He became the first sitting South Korean president to be detained while in office.
Thursday’s hearing was expected to be Yoon’s last before judges deliberated behind closed doors, but the court has now scheduled another session for next Tuesday.
Prosecutors have argued that the case is ready for judgment, while Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kap-keun, has accused the court of conducting an unfair trial. His legal team has warned of taking unspecified serious action if the impeachment proceedings continue in what they claim to be an unlawful manner.
As South Korea awaits the court’s final ruling, political tensions remain high, with both supporters and critics of Yoon closely watching the outcome of the impeachment trial.