South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday appeared for the first time at the Constitutional Court for his impeachment trial.
Yoon defended his decision to declare martial law, a short-lived decree that he announced in a shock address to the nation on the evening on December 3, and which to many appeared to be a brazen attempt to crack down on his political opponents.
He also denied the central accusation that he ordered the military to drag lawmakers out of parliament that night in order to prevent a vote against his decree.
In doing so, Yoon contradicted the accounts of several military commanders that he had ordered the arrest of individual parliamentarians.
During the hearing, Yoon also said that he never intended to fully implement the martial law decree, nor did he plan to have the National Assembly dissolved.
A lawyer for the conservative politician described the decree as a way to sound the alarm about abuses being committed in the legislature.
The decree was only intended to “prohibit illegal actions by the National Assembly,” South Korea’s official news agency Yonhap quoted one member of Yoon’s defence team as saying.
In the past, Yoon had repeatedly claimed that by imposing martial law he was protecting the nation from allegedly “anti-state forces” in the opposition.
At the start of the session, Yoon asked that the court’s judges consider him “favourably,” saying he has always held a “firm belief in liberal democracy,” Yonhap reported.
It was the first time in South Korea’s history that a president has appeared in person for an impeachment trial. Former presidents Park Geun Hye and Roh Moo Hyeon were represented by their lawyers on previous such occasions.
Until last week, Yoon had barricaded himself inside his Seoul compound as he evaded arrest and questioning.
The unicameral National Assembly voted for Yoon’s impeachment on December 14. That act suspended him from the presidency, but the court must now decide whether the impeachment should be upheld.
If Yoon is formally ousted from the office by the top court, it would pave the way for a snap presidential election within 60 days. A ruling is expected in coming weeks.
After the hearing, Yoon was not taken back to his prison cell as expected. Yonhap, citing unnamed sources, reported he was moved to a military hospital. The exact reasons are not yet known.
Running parallel to the trial is a probe by the Corruption Investigation Agency for High-Ranking Officials. The agency is investigating whether Yoon is guilty of trying to instigate a sedition with his martial law declaration. If found guilty, Yoon faces a long prison sentence.
