S. Korea’s court holds 7th impeachment hearing for President Yoon

South Korea’s Constitutional Court held the seventh hearing of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment trial on Tuesday, with the president attending for the fifth time. Yoon, dressed in a suit and red necktie, arrived at the courtroom in central Seoul around 10:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT).

During the session, Yoon defended his decision to declare emergency martial law, stating that the action was taken under the authority granted to him by the constitution.

He argued that martial law is permissible in cases of “a state of war, serious incident, or other comparable national emergency,” such as extreme social unrest.

However, opposition lawmakers accused Yoon of unconstitutionally imposing martial law, claiming no national emergency had been declared at the time.

Yoon maintained that his actions were justified, highlighting that no one was arrested, attacked, or suppressed by soldiers during the brief martial law period, which began on the night of Dec. 3, 2024.

The declaration was lifted hours later by the opposition-led National Assembly, which witnessed military helicopters landing and hundreds of armed Special Forces troops entering the building.

During a previous hearing, Col. Kim Hyun-tae, chief of the Army Special Warfare Command’s 707th Special Mission Group, testified that the troops only defended themselves during the confrontation and did not attack citizens.

Yoon also claimed he ordered the withdrawal of troops from the National Assembly, but Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun, former chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, denied receiving such an order.

Additionally, former interior minister Lee Sang-min contradicted Yoon’s claims about cutting off power and water to certain left-leaning media outlets during the martial law period.

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Lee stated that he had never received instructions to do so, conflicting with the prosecution’s indictment, which alleges Yoon gave such orders.

The eighth and final hearing is scheduled for Thursday, although the court may schedule additional sessions.

The impeachment motion was passed by the National Assembly on Dec. 14, 2024, and the Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to deliberate, during which Yoon’s presidential powers remain suspended.

Yoon was arrested on Jan. 15, becoming the first sitting president in South Korea’s history to be apprehended.

He was indicted under detention on Jan. 26, making him the first incumbent president to face trial while in custody.

Yoon is accused of conspiring with the former defense minister to unlawfully declare martial law and deploy armed forces to the National Assembly.