Will the Constitutional Court postpone Yoon's 10th impeachment hearing?

President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial enters its final week with two additional hearings this coming Tuesday and Thursday but his legal team has requested a rescheduling of Thursday's session as the president's criminal trial starts on the same day.

Our correspondent Oh Soo-young has the latest.

The Constitutional Court has not decided whether or not to change the date of President Yoon Suk Yeol's tenth impeachment hearing, as it also falls on the day his criminal trial proceedings begin.

Court Press Officer Cheon Jaehyun told reporters Monday that the judicial bench has not yet conveyed its decision, and it may or may not be announced before the 9th hearing on Tuesday.

After the Court decided to schedule two additional trial dates for Tuesday and Thursday this week, Yoon's team has objected to Thursday's session, and on Friday filed a request to postpone the date to February 25th.

The President's lawyers have on various occasions complained about the twice-weekly hearings, calling for just one session per week, to allow for sufficient preparation.

Especially as the Seoul Central District Court will begin Yoon's pretrial hearings for his criminal case on Thursday morning, Yoon's legal team would be spread out over both trials.

15 lawyers are working on his criminal case, 21 on his impeachment trial.

Among them, 13 are working on both.

While some experts say the overlapping schedule weakens the right to legal self-defense, the Constitutional Court might still push ahead with the impeachment hearing in the afternoon, as the criminal trial is at 10 AM.

The Court officer added that the National Assembly's impeachment panel has submitted its position that the Thursday hearing must not be delayed.

Meanwhile, she said Tuesday's hearing will see the Assembly and Yoon's side each organize and make their claims from 2 PM.

Thursday's hearing for now will have three witness examinations beginning with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Han previously said that the president had not held a proper cabinet meeting before declaring martial law on December 3rd.

Former Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service Hong Jang-won was summoned last week by the National Assembly's side but will return to be questioned by Yoon's legal team.

Hong claims there was a list of 14 to 16 figures the President wanted to arrest under martial law.

National Police Agency Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho will be questioned by both sides, after missing two witness sessions for health reasons.

"With the Constitutional Court having rejected other witness applications, it remains to be seen whether they will schedule additional hearings beyond the tenth session.

It would take around two weeks for the justices to deliver a verdict, based on past Presidential impeachment trials.

Oh Soo-young, Arirang News."