Constitutional Court Adopts Kim Yong-hyun, Yeo In-hyung, and Others as Witnesses in Impeachment Trial

Hearings Also Scheduled for February 6, 11, and 13

Yonhap News

The Constitutional Court has decided to summon former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, who led the emergency martial law on December 3, along with military commanders, as witnesses in the impeachment trial of President Yoon Seok-yeol.

On the 16th, Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae announced during the second hearing that former Minister Kim, former First Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service Hong Jang-won, Police Commissioner Cho Ji-ho, Special Forces Commander Kwak Jong-geun, Capital Defense Command Commander Lee Jin-woo, and Military Counterintelligence Command Commander Yeo In-hyung would be called as witnesses.

Among them, Commander Kwak and Commissioner Cho will be questioned for 90 minutes each on the 23rd, while Commanders Lee and Yeo and former Deputy Director Hong will be questioned for 90 minutes each on the 4th of next month.

These individuals testified that President Yoon ordered the deployment of martial law troops to prevent the National Assembly from lifting martial law and to arrest politicians. The National Assembly plans to use their testimonies to prove the president's unconstitutional and illegal actions.

The president’s side is expected to attempt to refute the testimonies of other witnesses as false through former Minister Kim. The Constitutional Court initially planned to summon former Minister Kim as a witness on the 6th of next month, but President Yoon’s side requested to move his testimony to the first order, so this will be reconsidered. The president’s side also requested the court to summon him together with other witnesses so that they could confront each other during questioning. However, Acting Chief Justice Moon responded, "That might be difficult."

The Constitutional Court has scheduled the 6th to 8th hearings to be held all day from 10 a.m. on the 6th, 11th, and 13th of next month. Although President Yoon’s side opposed the schedule as too demanding, Acting Chief Justice Moon did not accept the objection.