[Politics & Diplomacy] Pres. Yoon’s impeachment trial wrapped up; verdict expected in mid-March

The final hearing of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial wrapped up yesterday, and the Constitutional Court today began deliberations.

To delve deeper into the recent hearing and what lies ahead, let's turn to our political correspondent Shin Ha-young.

Ha-young, first walk us through the final hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial.

The 11th and final impeachment hearing came 73 days after the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion following President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration on December 3rd.

As the final speaker in his trial, President Yoon defended his actions, insisting that his call for martial law was a one-off plea to the public during what he described as a "state of emergency" caused by legislative obstruction and budget cuts from the opposition party.

Take a listen.

He also pledged to push for political reform and more effective governance through constitutional amendments if he were to resume his duties.

Despite his firm stance, Yoon apologized for the confusion and inconvenience caused by his martial law declaration.

The National Assembly's impeachment panel co-chair Jung Chung-rae delivered his final statement before Yoon saying that the public had already rejected Yoon and urged the court to uphold the impeachment.

Take a listen.

"President Yoon took the oath of office to uphold the Constitution and defend the nation, yet he sent martial law troops to invade the National Assembly and trampled on the Constitution. The respondent no longer has the qualifications to remain as president. He is no longer the president in the hearts of the people."

Starting today, the Constitutional Court justices decided to hold deliberations every day except holidays and weekends, until the verdict is delivered.

Deliberations will take place in a secure room with anti-eavesdropping devices, and only the judges will have access, ensuring strict security throughout the process.

Now all that's left is the court's verdict, which is expected in March. But when exactly will it happen, and what factors could affect the timing?

Based on the past presidential impeachment trials, the verdict is expected to come out around mid-March after about two weeks of deliberations so some point between March 10th and 14th.

For the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, the court dismissed the impeachment motion 14 days after the final hearing, while it took 11 days for former President Park Geun-hye.

The court usually announces the verdict date just a few days before, and this time it's also likely to be confirmed two to three days in advance as well.

However, there's a factor that we need to consider when it comes to the timeline, which is the appointment of the vacancy on the Constitutional Court's justice panel.

The verdict on whether or not acting President Choi Sang-mok violated the Constitution in deferring the appointment of left-leaning court justice nominee Ma Eun-hyeok will be shared at 10 in the morning tomorrow.

This legal dispute follows the filing of a lawsuit by Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik earlier this month after acting President Choi appointed just two of the three justice nominees, citing the lack of bipartisan support for Ma Eun-hyeok.

If the Court upholds the jurisdictional dispute and Ma joins the bench, it will need to decide whether Ma should also participate in deliberating President Yoon's impeachment case.

This could take additional time, particularly if Yoon's side requests a retrial to allow the new justice to review and familiarize himself with the case, potentially delaying the ruling.

Today, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung's final hearing was held at an appellate court over election law violation charges. Tell us about that.

Indeed, the final appellate trial hearing for main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung's violation of the Public Official Election Act was held this afternoon at the Seoul High Court.

"What is meant by the world will follow common sense and principles. The court will make the right decision."

In the original verdict, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that Lee had spread false information while disputing corruption allegations during his presidential campaign.

During a media interview in 2021, Lee denied knowing a man involved in a land development scandal in Seongnam and was also reported to have made false claims during a related parliamentary audit.

The court handed him a one-year prison sentence suspended for two years.

If the Constitutional Court upholds the motion to impeach President Yoon, there will be an early presidential election within 60 days.

The speed of the Supreme Court's review could become a crucial factor in Lee's presidential ambitions.

If the first ruling stands, Lee will lose his legislative seat and be barred from running in elections for ten years.

The decision on his appeal could come as early as the end of next month.

However, there's a variable earlier this month, Lee filed a request with the appellate court for a constitutional review, seeking a ruling on the constitutionality of relevant legal provisions.

If the court accepts the request, the trial will be suspended until the Constitutional Court issues a ruling.

So far, the appellate court has yet to make a decision on this request.

It looks like next month going to be a turning point for South Korea's political situation.

Alright, thank you for the wrap-up, Ha-young.

Thank you.