Constitutional Court schedules Yoon’s first hearing

 
INA-sources
 
The Constitutional Court, currently reviewing the impeachment trial of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, has concluded its preparatory procedures on Friday and scheduled the first hearing for 2 p.m. on January 14. This will begin the official deliberation on whether President Yoon has grounds for impeachment. On Friday, the president's legal team submitted part of their responses related to the impeachment trial.

The Constitutional Court announced this decision after conducting the second preparatory hearing for about one hour and 20 minutes in a small courtroom at its office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The court announced this would be the last preparatory hearing and designated the second hearing for 2 p.m. on January 16 in case President Yoon does not attend the first hearing. According to Article 52 of the Constitutional Court Act, the defendant (President Yoon) must appear at the first hearing for an impeachment trial, and if absent, a new date must be set. If the president fails to attend the second hearing, the trial can proceed without the defendant's presence. If the president does not appear on January 14, the proceedings can start from January 16.