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| ▲ A media crew is seen outside the Constitutional Court in central Seoul on Dec. 15, 2024. (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) court-Yoon impeachment
(LEAD) Constitutional Court to hold 1st preparatory hearing on Yoon's impeachment Dec. 27
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout)
SEOUL, Dec. 16 (Yonhap) -- The Constitutional Court said Monday it will hold its first preparatory hearing on the parliamentary impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Dec. 27, kicking off the judicial procedures for his impeachment trial.
The court announced the decision in a meeting of its justices held to discuss the proceedings, including deciding on dates for the high-stakes hearing to review arguments and relevant evidence.
On Saturday, the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Yoon over his short-lived imposition of martial law on Dec. 3, suspending his presidential powers and handing the decision over his fate to the Constitutional Court.
The court said it has delivered a copy of the request of adjudication for Yoon's impeachment to him and is in the process of requesting his response. Yoon is not required to make a response.
The court said it will prioritize Yoon's impeachment trial.
The top court has up to 180 days to deliver the ruling on whether to uphold the impeachment and remove Yoon from office, or reinstate him.
Once the court has completed its preparations, the impeachment hearings will take place in a public manner. Yoon will be required to attend the hearings in principle, but he is not obliged to attend the first preparatory hearing set for Dec. 27.
If upheld, Yoon will become the second president to be ousted after former President Park Geun-hye in 2017, triggering a snap presidential election within 60 days.
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