Yoon faces last impeachment hearing over martial law decree

SEOUL — South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol faced his final impeachment hearing on Tuesday before judges decide whether to remove him from office over his martial law declaration.

Yoon's brief suspension of civilian rule plunged his country into political turmoil, and he was removed from office by parliament in December.

After weeks of impeachment hearings at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Tuesday's proceedings began at 2 pm.

In its opening remarks, Yoon's defense team cited a 2024 US Supreme Court ruling, Donald Trump versus the United States, arguing that Yoon cannot be punished for "exercising his core constitutional powers".

That ruling "should be considered in the context of impeachment proceedings", Yoon's lawyer Lee Dongchan said.

In response, opposition lawyer Lee Gum-gyu spoke about his son, an active duty soldier, who, he said, would have been forced to participate in Yoon's martial law.

"As a citizen and a father, I feel a sense of rage and betrayal toward Yoon, who tried to turn my son into a martial law soldier," he told the court.

In his final statement, Yoon said the country was facing an "existential crisis" when he declared martial law.

"It was an urgent plea for the people, as the sovereign power of this country, to recognize the situation and take action to overcome it together," he told the court.

Tuesday's session is Yoon's last before the eight judges go behind closed doors to decide his fate. A verdict is expected in mid-March.

The 64-year-old is being held at the Seoul Detention Center after he was arrested over a separate criminal case, charging him with leading an insurrection, for which he could be sentenced to life in prison or even face the death penalty.

The former prosecutor is the first sitting president to face a criminal trial, which began last week.

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