[Anchor]
The Constitutional Court has concluded the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol and has been deliberating for nearly two weeks. While there is speculation about a ruling this week, Yonhap News TV has found that the justices have not yet reached a final decision.
We’ll connect with a reporter at the Constitutional Court for more details.
[Reporter]
Yes, I am at the Constitutional Court. As the impeachment trial of President Yoon concluded 13 days ago, there is anticipation about an imminent ruling. However, despite a comprehensive meeting last Friday, it has been confirmed through Yonhap News TV’s investigation that the process has not reached the stage of voting on the deliberations. The continued exchange of opinions among the justices suggests that deliberations are prolonging.
As discussions among the justices continue, the timing of the announcement remains uncertain. Initially, based on precedents of two previous presidents where decisions were made on Fridays after two weeks of deliberation, there was speculation about a ruling on Friday, the 14th. However, given the remaining steps before a final decision, it seems unlikely that a ruling will be issued this week. Nonetheless, as the court conducts daily deliberations, there remains a possibility of acceleration, so we should continue to monitor the process.
[Anchor]
Reporter Kim, is there a possibility that President Yoon’s side might request the resumption of the trial due to procedural issues?
[Reporter]
Yes, following the cancellation of detention, President Yoon’s team is expected to strengthen their arguments about issues in the procedures involving investigation, detention, and trial. On the 7th, President Yoon’s side submitted an opinion from constitutional scholars stating that the withdrawal of the core charge of rebellion is a serious procedural flaw, warranting dismissal of impeachment and resolving the issue of illegal detention of the President. Under the claim that his right to defense was not adequately protected during the trial while detained, President Yoon’s legal team is considering requesting a reopened trial.
In the meantime, President Yoon’s side has recently reiterated claims of an unlawful investigation, accusing the Corruption Investigation Office of providing inconsistent and false explanations regarding no warrant request to the Central District Court. The legal community generally views the criminal trial deciding President Yoon’s ‘punishment’ and the impeachment trial assessing whether declarations like martial law are unconstitutional and necessitating resignation, as separate matters.
Earlier, the Constitutional Court stated that concerning the cancellation of detention, “the final judgment would be made by the bench,” and also implied that “records from the Corruption Investigation Office won’t have a significant impact on the impeachment trial.” This is interpreted as the Court’s intention to proceed with the impeachment trial while eliminating overlaps with court rulings regarding procedural clarity.
If the trial proceeds anew, the announcement of the ruling would inevitably be delayed. The Court has stated that the decision to reopen the trial will also be determined through deliberation by the justices.
This has been a report from the Constitutional Court.
[Live Connection – Jung Chang-hoon]
#Impeachment #ConstitutionalCourt #YoonSukyeol #Deliberation #Justices
Inquiries and reports for Yonhap News TV: KakaoTalk/Line jebo23