South Korea's top court begins Yoon impeachment trial

RTHK：Video News

South Korea's Constitutional Court kicked off proceedings on Monday over the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, who has been suspended from office over his failed bid to impose martial law. It comes as South Korean law enforcement authorities are pushing to summon Yoon for questioning over his short-lived martial law decree. A joint investigative team involving police, an anti-corruption agency and the Defence Ministry said it plans to convey a request to Yoon’s office that he appear for questioning on Wednesday, as they expand a probe into whether his ill-conceived power grab amounted to rebellion. Son Yeong-jo, an investigator with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, said the team plans to question Yoon on charges of rebellion and abuse of power. He declined to provide specifics when asked how investigators would respond if Yoon refuses to appear. Son said the team tried to deliver the summons request to the presidential office but was rerouted to Yoon’s personal residence after presidential secretarial staff claimed they were unsure whether conveying the request to the impeached president was part of their duties. Yoon was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly on Saturday over his December 3 martial law decree. His presidential powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him. If Yoon is dismissed, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days. Yoon has justified his martial law enforcement as a necessary act of governance against the main liberal opposition Democratic Party that he described as “anti-state forces” bogging down his agendas and vowed to “fight to the end” against efforts to remove him from office. (Agencies)