South Korea's Constitutional Court opened the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday following his failed bid to impose martial law. However, the first hearing was swiftly adjourned after the suspended leader failed to appear.
Yoon's controversial power grab on Dec. 3 thrust the nation into its most severe political crisis in decades. The president directed military forces to storm the National Assembly to halt lawmakers from overturning his suspension of civilian rule.
The attempt failed and Yoon was swiftly impeached and suspended from office. Since then, he has remained in his official residence, ignoring investigative summonses on insurrection charges while leveraging his presidential security team to evade arrest.
The trial's first session, one of five scheduled hearings, began at 2 p.m. local time but lasted only minutes due to Yoon's absence. His legal team attributed his nonattendance to "safety concerns," according to a court spokesperson.
Despite the procedural delay, hearings are set to continue, with the next session scheduled for Thursday, followed by additional hearings on Jan. 21-23 and Feb. 4.
The court's eight judges are tasked with determining whether Yoon's martial law declaration was unconstitutional or illegal. A ruling on either point could validate the impeachment. A two-thirds majority, or six of the eight judges, is required to remove Yoon from office officially.
In a statement outside the court Tuesday, the National Assembly's legal representatives asserted that "overwhelming reasons for the immediate dismissal" of the president exist. The court, however, has up to 180 days from Dec. 14, when it received the case, to issue its final decision.
Yoon's legal team has called for the court to fully utilize the 180-day window to investigate the events leading to the martial law declaration. Lawyer Kim Nam-ju emphasized that while many facts have been established and individuals involved have been indicted, thorough scrutiny remains essential.
Yoon's case marks the first impeachment trial involving a martial law bid in over four decades. Former presidents Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and Park Geun-hye in 2016-2017 similarly opted not to attend their impeachment hearings. The attempt to impose military rule on Dec. 3 lasted only six hours, but its ramifications continue to ripple through South Korea’s political landscape.
Adding to the instability, lawmakers impeached Yoon's stand-in last month. The acting president has refrained from intervening directly, instead urging all parties to engage in dialogue.
In parallel with the impeachment proceedings, a criminal inquiry led by the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) and police is intensifying efforts to arrest Yoon on charges of insurrection. A prior attempt to execute an arrest warrant was blocked by Yoon’s presidential guards, prompting rival protests outside his residence.
Yoon's chief of staff, Chung Jin-suk, said Tuesday that the president’s office is "open to considering all options for investigation or meetings" at a neutral location. However, police are reportedly mobilizing 1,000 officers to support a renewed arrest attempt, while Yoon's residence has been fortified with barbed wire and barricades. A military unit continues to patrol the area, but the defense ministry clarified that soldiers will focus on perimeter security and not engage in the execution of arrest warrants.
If arrested, Yoon would be the first sitting South Korean president to face such action. A successful conviction could result in imprisonment or even capital punishment, depending on the charges.
The stakes are high for investigators and South Korean society. Political analyst Lee Jae-mook from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies noted that a failed second arrest attempt could jeopardize the CIO's credibility and future.
"Much rests on ensuring accountability in this unprecedented case," Lee said, adding that the outcome of the trial and related inquiries could shape the nation's political trajectory for years to come.
