Yoon’s side claims impeachment is invalid

Jan 17, 2025, 03:50 pm

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Constitutional Court is in session in Seoul on Jan. 16, 2025./ Photographed by Park Sung-il

AsiaToday reporters Kim Im-soo, Nam Mi-kyung, Kim Chae-yeon

President Yoon Suk-yeol’s side claimed that the vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol is invalid without the charge of insurrection, during the second hearing of the impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court on Thursday.

President Yoon’s legal team pointed out that the National Assembly’s impeachment motion was not meant to defend the Constitution, but is in fact part of a political attempt to bring down the president who has been elected through direct voting.

The legal team took issue with the Assembly team’s decision to remove insurrection charges as one of the reasons for the impeachment, stressing that if the motion did not include the charges, it would not have passed parliament with 204 votes in favor.

They pointed out that on December 7 of last year, the impeachment motion against President Yoon was rejected due to a lack of quorum in the National Assembly. However, the same motion was reintroduced and passed on December 12, which they argued is a violation of the National Assembly Act and the principle not to deliberate the same measure twice during the same session. President Yoon’s side claimed that “the impeachment motion initiated with the intent to oust the president and seize power,” and that the National Assembly abused its impeachment authority.

Yoon’s legal team emphasized that the president has a duty to protect liberal democracy and the Constitution, stating that “the major opposition party abused its impeachment authority and budget review power to paralyze state functions and collapse the constitutional order in an attempt to seize power.” They argued that the president exercised emergency powers because there were no conventional means to resolve the situation.

The representative also emphasized that “not a single member of the National Assembly was arrested, there was no bloodshed, and it was a peaceful martial law that caused no harm to the country.”

#second hearing #Constitutional Court #Yoon Suk-yeol #martial law