The impeachment procedure against Lee Chang-soo, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, and two other prosecutors began on the 18th. However, the National Assembly, which filed the impeachment, did not appoint a lawyer for two weeks and was absent from the first hearing on the day, effectively causing a standstill.
On the 18th, the Constitutional Court held the first preparatory hearing for the impeachment trial of Chief Prosecutor Lee, Deputy Chief Jo Sang-won, and Anti-Corruption Division 2 Chief Choi Jae-hoon, but it ended after about three minutes. This was because no one from the prosecution side, represented by Jeong Cheong-rae, Chairman of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee, appeared in court. All representatives of the three prosecutors were present.
Presiding Justice Kim Bok-hyung stated, "The court notified the prosecution side of the preparatory hearing date and instructed them to appear, but they neither appeared nor appointed a representative. Considering there is a substantial reason to proceed with the preparatory hearing, we will continue according to the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Act."
The Criminal Procedure Act, which is applied to impeachment trials, automatically ends the preparatory procedure if a party does not appear, but allows exceptions when there is a substantial (reasonable) reason to continue preparation. The Constitutional Court deemed the preparatory procedure necessary in this case and decided to hold another preparatory hearing at 4 p.m. on the 8th of next month.
Earlier, the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee submitted a request to postpone the preparatory hearing on the 10th, but the Constitutional Court rejected the postponement and stated it would proceed as scheduled.
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