Court still silent on whether President Yoon's impeachment trial will be extended

The Constitutional Court launches its final week of hearings for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial starting tomorrow and it has yet to announce whether or not more sessions will be held before its verdict on the case.

Our correspondent Oh Soo-young has the latest.

The Constitutional Court has not yet announced whether it will extend President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial, which is scheduled to wrap up this week.

A Court official told reporters Monday that the eight-member judicial bench has not yet conveyed whether additional hearings will be held beyond this coming Thursday.

With time running out, and just two hearings left at the Constitutional Court this week, making an extension is likely.

On Tuesday, the Court will hold Yoon's seventh trial hearing, with four witnesses summoned to testify.

First up will be former interior minister Lee Sang-min, who is expected to be questioned extensively about the meeting of Cabinet members held before the martial law declaration on December third last year.

The National Assembly's impeachment panel says the President had bypassed Cabinet procedures before imposing the decree.

Also standing witness will be National Security Advisor Shin Won-sik who served as Defense Minister until September last year.

Shin is likely to be grilled over whether there was prior planning before December third.

As for former National Intelligence Service deputy director Baek Jong-wook, and National Election Commission Secretary-General Kim Yong-bin, questions are expected to focus on election fraud allegations raised by President Yoon as a pretext for declaring martial law.

The eighth and final hearing is currently scheduled for Thursday.

In order to conclude the hearings, the court must hear the closing arguments from both legal teams and President Yoon's final statement.

It seems the Constitutional Court has not yet instructed either side to prepare their final arguments.

Meanwhile, the Court on Monday concluded hearings on a dispute case regarding Acting President Choi Sang-mok's decision to withhold the appointment of Constitutional Court Justice nominee Ma Eun-hyuk, while appointing two others recommended alongside him.

The case was filed by National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, who claims Choi neglected to follow a parliamentary resolution to appoint three justices in December last year.

Choi, however, had pledged to appoint a third Justice after bipartisan agreement on the candidate.

The court initially planned to deliver its ruling last Monday, but accepted Choi's request for additional arguments to be made.

Choi's side said Monday that Speaker Woo had unilaterally filed the case, bypassing a plenary session vote, thus the dispute should be made invalid.

The Court says it will reach a verdict and notify the involved parties.

The question of Ma's appointment has caused a strong political stand-off, as the left-leaning judge would become the ninth member of the judicial bench,.. as it rules on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment case.

Oh Soo-young, Arirang News.