South Korean President Attends Impeachment Trial – | Asian Markets

Yoon Suk-yeol, the impeached president of South Korea, attended trial on the Constitutional Courtroom on Tuesday, in response to native media. It marked his first attendance for the reason that court docket kicked off his impeachment trial on January 14. 

At court docket, Yoon denied accusations that he ordered navy commanders to arrest the lawmakers who gathered within the parliament to make the president revoke his illegitimate declaration of martial law. Nevertheless, Han Dong-hoon, the previous chief of the ruling Folks Energy Social gathering, had confirmed after a assembly with the president that Yoon tried to arrest key opposition figures, together with the speaker of the Nationwide Meeting and the chief of the principle opposition Democratic Social gathering. Han was additionally on the checklist for arrest, in response to the lawmakers briefed by Hong Jang-won, former first deputy director of the Nationwide Intelligence Service.

Some commanders who have been concerned in Yoon’s martial law plan additionally testified that they have been ordered to tug out and arrest the lawmakers who had gathered within the plenary chamber to vote for a invoice demanding that Yoon retract his declaration of martial law. 

Kwak Jong-geun, former commander of the Military’s Particular Warfare Command, testified to the Nationwide Meeting that he acquired calls from Yoon via secure phonelines that can not be recorded. Based on Kwak, Yoon twice ordered him to interrupt the door and pull the lawmakers who have been within the plenary chamber out. 

Cho Ji-ho, the commissioner of the Nationwide Police Company, additionally stated that Yoon known as him over the telephone six instances and ordered him to apprehend the lawmakers.

Based on the South Korean Structure, the Nationwide Meeting is the one entity that may legally make the president retract martial law. 

Closely-armed troops have been deployed to the Nationwide Meeting with navy automobiles and helicopters simply minutes after Yoon declared martial law in a televised announcement. That motion was clear proof that he ordered commanders to dispatch the martial law troops to the parliament to impede the vote, in violation of the structure. The vote proceeded solely as a result of the dispatched troops stalled in conducting the ordered operations on web site, and since residents had gathered on the Nationwide Meeting to dam the troops from coming into the building. 

Somewhat than apologizing for his wrongdoing, Yoon as an alternative raised questions on how the Nationwide Meeting was so fast to cross a decision to elevate martial law. Yoon tried to query whether or not the Nationwide Meeting noticed the law when it handed the decision. But Woo Gained-shik, the speaker of the Nationwide Meeting, reportedly pushed back towards opposition get together lawmakers who urged him to swiftly start the vote, saying “the procedures [for the vote] should be followed.” Woo was cognizant that there Yoon would possibly search to raise legal points with the voting.

Certainly, no legal subject has been raised relating to the Nationwide Meeting’s procedures in passing the decision – which was completed within three hours after Yoon’s declaration of martial law. 

Yoon ought to have retracted martial law instantly after the Nationwide Meeting vote, however he remained silent for 3 hours, creating conspiracies among the many opposition that he was making an attempt to declare a second martial law. On this context, Woo and opposition lawmakers determined to remain within the plenary chamber even after Yoon formally introduced his will to retract martial law in a televised announcement round at 4:27 a.m. native time

Some ministers – together with Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who’s now the performing president – talked about that they acquired notes from Yoon aides that specified the measures they need to take underneath martial law. The notes have been distributed during a Cupboard assembly held minutes earlier than his declaration on December 3. Choi was ordered to secure a price range to ascertain an “emergency legislative body” that may overtake the facility of the Nationwide Meeting. 

Nevertheless, Yoon denied writing the be aware. As a substitute, he pinned the accountability on former Protection Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who reportedly oversaw the martial law troops’ operation, by saying such a be aware might be written solely by the protection minister. Yoon later stated he has not checked with Kim to confirm this, as Kim has been in custody since December 8 on expenses of collusion stemming from the martial law declaration.

Choi had stated he acquired the be aware from an official after Yoon informed him to learn it.

Yoon himself is being detained because the Corruption Investigation Workplace for Excessive-ranking Officers (CIO) investigates him for riot. Yoon has repeatedly refused to seem for questioning requested by the CIO. Nevertheless, he attended the Constitutional Courtroom trial to ship remarks looking for to justify his declaration of martial law. Yoon appears to have determined he’ll interact with the circumstances towards him solely to ship his statements to the court docket whereas refusing to cooperate with the investigations. 

Based on native media reviews, Yoon portrayed himself as a lonely warrior defending the nation’s “liberal democracy” to the Constitutional Courtroom judges. It’s unclear whether or not the judges sympathized along with his statements, which hinge on his biased view of the opposition as an “anti-state” pressure. 

Tuesday’s impeachment trial ended simply 103 minutes after it started. 

The Constitutional Courtroom trial got here solely two days after Yoon supporters rioted on the Seoul Western District Courtroom, which had issued a contemporary arrest warrant permitting investigators to carry Yoon in detention till February 7. The rioters shattered home windows and gates of the courthouse whereas throwing cigarette ashtrays and vases towards police officers. In addition they looked for Cha Eun-kyeong, the decide who issued the arrest warrant, and trespassed into her workplace. Fortunately, Cha was not within the court docket when the riot broke out. She has reportedly requested police safety. 

As pro-Yoon rioters confirmed their intention to not respect the nation’s legal system and the rule of law, they might use violence towards the Constitutional Courtroom if it upholds the impeachment of Yoon within the weeks or months to come back.