Constitutional Court Denies Yoon's Side Request to Postpone Impeachment Trial... Jo Daehyun, Jeong Sangmyeong Join Yoon's Legal Team (Comprehensive)

The side of President Yoon Seok-yeol, who refused to comply with the investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), must also respond to the impeachment trial that is intensifying at the Constitutional Court. They must overcome two waves: the investigation surrounding the declaration of martial law and the impeachment trial. While President Yoon's side has requested sufficient time for deliberation, the Constitutional Court has declared a principle of swift proceedings, creating a burdensome situation for President Yoon's side.

The Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 16th, the second hearing date for the impeachment trial of President Yoon Seok-yeol. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

In this regard, President Yoon's side submitted a request to postpone the second hearing scheduled for 2 p.m. on the 16th, but the Constitutional Court did not accept it. Cheon Jae-hyun, the Constitutional Court spokesperson, said, "After all the justices attended and discussed, it was decided not to accept the request to change the hearing date," adding, "It is understood that the court considered there was no reason to change the date." He also explained that this was based on the court's judgment without a separate decision.

Accordingly, the second hearing will proceed as scheduled without President Yoon's attendance. Initially, President Yoon had expressed the intention to appear in person for the impeachment trial, but since being arrested by the CIO, this also seems difficult for the time being. President Yoon's side added six more lawyers, including former Constitutional Court Justice Cho Dae-hyun and former Prosecutor General Jung Sang-myung. This brings the total number of President Yoon's legal team to 14.

During the first hearing, President Yoon's side filed a series of motions, including requests to disqualify justices and three objections related to trial procedures. However, the Constitutional Court immediately convened a justices' meeting and dismissed all of them. This can be seen as an unusually swift action. Since receiving the case, the Constitutional Court has consistently maintained the policy of prioritizing the presidential impeachment trial, and internally there is a consensus that the trial must proceed fairly without procedural delays.

The second hearing held on this day can be regarded as the first proper deliberation in practice. This is because the first hearing on the 14th was stalled due to President Yoon's absence. However, it remains uncertain whether President Yoon's side, which must also respond to the investigation, can conduct a full and substantive defense.

There is also interest in whether the Constitutional Court will issue a ruling during this hearing regarding the National Assembly's declaration that the grounds for impeachment related to President Yoon's acts of rebellion will be judged as a ‘violation of the Constitution’ rather than under the Criminal Act. President Yoon's side has opposed this, arguing that if the charges of rebellion under the Criminal Act are removed, a significant portion of the grounds for impeachment would change, requiring the National Assembly to re-deliberate and reapprove the impeachment motion.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.