Constitutional Court Shows Will for Expedited Trial… Yoon’s Side Emphasizes “Presidential Human Rights”
The Constitutional Court has scheduled three additional hearings for President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment trial. As the court showed its intent to expedite the trial, President Yoon’s representatives strongly opposed, claiming they were being treated worse than spies.
Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae designated additional hearing dates on the 6th, 11th, and 13th of next month during the second hearing of President Yoon’s impeachment trial on the 16th at the Constitutional Court’s main courtroom in Jongno, Seoul. Each session is expected to run all day starting at 10 AM.
With this decision, three more hearings are set following those scheduled for the 21st and 23rd of this month and the 4th of next month, making for a total of six hearings in the coming period.
Acting Chief Moon also announced the selection of former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho, Army Special Warfare Command Commander Kwak Jong-geun, Capital Defense Command Commander Lee Jin-woo, Counterintelligence Command Commander Yeo In-hyeong, and former National Intelligence Service Deputy Chief Hong Jang-won as witnesses.
These individuals have testified through National Assembly and investigative agency inquiries that President Yoon allegedly ordered the deployment of martial law troops to prevent the Assembly from revoking martial law or instructed the arrest of key politicians.
Commissioner Cho and Commander Kwak are scheduled for questioning on the 23rd, while Commanders Lee and Yeo, along with former Deputy Chief Hong, are scheduled for the 4th of next month, and former Minister Kim for the 6th.
President Yoon’s representatives expressed strong opposition to the court’s swift scheduling.
Attorney Do Tae-woo, representing President Yoon, mentioned “the respondent’s human rights” regarding the full-day hearings after the sixth session, questioning, “Is a civilized nation ranked among the world’s top ten treating the president worse than a failed spy? Even though this isn’t a criminal trial but a constitutional one, the president still has rights. Such treatment was not afforded even to defendants directly connected to North Korea or failed spies.”
Yoon’s side specifically requested priority questioning of former Minister Kim or that he be present during other witnesses’ questioning for confrontation.
They argued, “Witness Kim Yong-hyun is connected to all witnesses called by the petitioner. It is proper to hear his testimony first to ascertain substantive truth in the trial procedure.” They emphasized it should be “simultaneously (through confrontation) to ensure fairness and the respondent’s right to defense.”
However, Acting Chief Moon clarified there would be no change in hearing dates, dismissing a prior objection from President Yoon’s side against the five scheduled hearings. He indicated, though, that the request for prioritizing former Minister Kim’s questioning would be discussed in a judges’ conference on the 17th.