Top South Korean court begins Yoon impeachment trial

SEOUL: South Korea’s constitutional court kicked off proceedings on Monday over the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been suspended from office over his failed bid to impose martial law.

Yoon was removed by South Korea’s parliament on Saturday over his short-lived attempt to suspend civilian rule, which plunged the country into its worst political turmoil in years.

The Constitutional Court has around six months to determine whether to uphold the impeachment.

Fresh elections must be held within two months if he is removed. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is serving as interim leader in Yoon’s stead.

The court formally began proceedings at 10 am (GMT 0100) on Monday, a spokesman told AFP.

A separate investigation into Yoon and his inner circle over the December 3 martial law declaration has rumbled on as the turmoil deepened.

Yoon remains under a travel ban while the probe is underway.

The prosecution said in a news release on Sunday they had summoned Yoon for questioning over the insurrection and abuse of power allegations “but he refused to comply”.

They said they would issue a “second summons”, with Yonhap news agency reporting that could come on Monday.

Yoon ‘ringleader’

The concurrent probe by a joint police, anti-corruption office and defence ministry team is also asking Yoon to appear for questioning, Yonhap said.

They reportedly accuse Yoon of being the “ringleader” of the martial law bid.

Vast protests against Yoon, with smaller rallies supporting him, have rocked the South Korean capital since his martial law decree.

Demonstrators in both camps have vowed to keep up the pressure as the Constitutional Court mulls Yoon’s fate.

Police arrested both the current and former heads of the Defence Intelligence Command on Sunday in connection to the insurrection allegations, Yonhap reported.

Prosecutors said they were also seeking an arrest warrant for the head of the Army Special Warfare Command Kwak Jong-keun, according to Yonhap.

Kwak is accused of sending special forces troops to parliament during the martial law bid, sparking a dramatic confrontation between soldiers and parliamentary staff.

The head of Yoon’s ruling People Power Party (PPP), who has not been linked to the martial law bid and expressed support for impeachment, resigned on Monday.

“I sincerely apologise to all the people who have suffered due to the emergency martial law incident,” Han Dong-hoon told a news conference in Seoul.

In declaring martial law, Yoon vowed to “eliminate anti-state elements” and suggested the country’s electoral system was vulnerable to outside interference.

Han Dong-hoon condemned on Monday “extremists such as election fraud conspiracy theorists” and warned “there will be no future for conservatism” if the party entertained those views.