The National Assembly's impeachment prosecution team attended the first hearing of President Yoon Seok-yeol's impeachment trial on the 14th, urging, "Please cooperate to ensure that the impeachment process proceeds swiftly by complying with the procedures required by the Constitutional Court."
On the afternoon of the 14th, the first hearing date for the impeachment trial of President Yoon Seok-yeol, Kim Yi-soo, former Constitutional Court Justice and co-representative of the National Assembly's legal representatives, responded to reporters' questions before appearing at the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
On that afternoon, Kim Yi-su, co-representative of the National Assembly's legal team, who appeared at the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul, responded to a question about President Yoon's absence by saying, "It was an expected step."
Attorney Kim criticized, "The act of destroying the constitutional order under the name of martial law instantly shattered the international community's evaluation of South Korea as the only country that has simultaneously achieved democratization, industrialization, and modernization." He added, "Even after the lifting of martial law, President Yoon has shown behavior that disregards the country's judicial system and violates the principles of the rule of law." He emphasized, "Seeking a swift dismissal decision against the president is aimed at restoring the fallen democracy and constitutional order."
Song Du-hwan, former Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission and a member of the National Assembly's legal team, stated, "The respondent declared that he would not evade legal and political responsibility for martial law, but by forcibly blocking the execution of the arrest warrant issued by the court, he denied the rule of law." He added, "Our legal team will make every effort to ensure that a prompt and appropriate impeachment decision is made, fully prepared regardless of how the respondent acts."
Jeong Cheong-rae, Chairperson of the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee and head of the impeachment prosecution team, said, "We must protect the constitution and South Korea from the enemies of democracy," adding, "The urgent task for South Korea now is the arrest and dismissal of President Yoon."
On the other hand, President Yoon's lawyers Yoon Gap-geun, Bae Bo-yoon, and Do Tae-woo arrived at the Constitutional Court but entered the grand courtroom immediately without making any statements. As announced, President Yoon did not attend the first hearing. On the 12th, President Yoon's side stated, "We cannot attend due to concerns for personal safety and unforeseen incidents as there are continuous attempts to execute the arrest warrant illegally."
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