Seoul: President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal team made a compelling case for the dismissal of his impeachment during the final arguments at the Constitutional Court. They argued that the opposition party’s unilateral actions necessitated his brief imposition of martial law, which lasted only two hours without causing any harm to citizens.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon was not present in the courtroom as his lawyers articulated why the National Assembly’s impeachment should be overturned. The impeachment was triggered by Yoon’s unexpected declaration of martial law on December 3. The president is anticipated to address the court later, where he will likely defend his actions and possibly apologize to the nation.
Chah Kee-whahn, one of the defense attorneys, emphasized that the martial law was lifted swiftly, with no injuries reported. Lee Dong-chan, another lawyer on Yoon’s team, pointed fingers at the opposition, blaming their policy obstructions and budget cuts as the driving force behind the president’s decision. He argued that these actions created a state of national emergency.
On the other hand, the National Assembly’s legal representatives argued for the impeachment to be upheld. Song Doo-hwan, representing the Assembly, asserted that evidence presented during the trial confirmed Yoon’s violation of the Constitution and laws through insurrection actions. He highlighted the gravity of such unconstitutional and illegal actions as unprecedented.
Rep. Jung Chung-rai of the Democratic Party, leading the Assembly’s impeachment panel, also delivered a final statement, with Yoon expected to follow. The president is likely to use his platform to explain his rationale for the martial law declaration and challenge the legality of the investigations conducted by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the prosecution.
The impeachment motion accuses Yoon of constitutional violations by declaring martial law without a national emergency and bypassing necessary procedures such as a Cabinet meeting and parliamentary notification. Yoon has countered these accusations, claiming his actions were meant to caution the opposition against its repeated impeachments and budgetary interventions.
Legal experts predict that the court’s decision on Yoon’s fate-whether to remove him from office or reinstate him-will be rendered within two weeks, drawing on precedents set by former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye.