Constitutional Court to Proceed with 10th Hearing on Yoon's Impeachment as Scheduled on 20th... Yoon Absent from 9th Hearing

Yoon's Request to Change Hearing Date Due to Criminal Trial Denied... Jo Jiho to Be Forcibly Summoned
Constitutional Court: "There Is a Time Gap, and All Three Witnesses Were Requested by Yoon's Side"
Yoon Came to the Constitutional Court for the 9th Hearing but Returned to the Detention Center

The Constitutional Court decided to hold the 10th hearing of the impeachment trial on the 20th as scheduled, without changing the date. President Yoon Seok-yeol's side had requested a date change because a criminal trial on charges of 'leader of a rebellion' was scheduled for the same day, but the request was denied.

Moon Hyung-bae, Acting Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, is seated at the first formal impeachment trial hearing of Lee Chang-soo, Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Jo Sang-won, 4th Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, and Choi Jae-hoon, Head of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2 of the Central District Prosecutors' Office, held on the 17th at the Grand Bench of the Constitutional Court in Jongno-gu, Seoul. 2025.02.17 Photo by Yoon Dong-joo

On the 18th, Moon Hyung-bae, Acting Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, stated during the 9th hearing of President Yoon Seok-yeol's impeachment trial held at 2 p.m., "The first preparatory hearing for President Yoon's criminal trial is at 10 a.m., and the impeachment hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m., allowing a time gap. Considering the schedules of the parties, the bench, and witnesses for the hearing date, and the fact that the court holds trials four days a week," he added, "Considering the request to execute an arrest warrant for witness Jo Ji-ho (Commissioner of the National Police Agency) and that the 10th hearing will examine three witnesses requested by the respondent, the date was set for 2 p.m. on the 20th."

At the 10th hearing on the 20th, three witnesses will appear: Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, former 1st Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service Hong Jang-won, and National Police Agency Commissioner Jo Ji-ho. Acting Chief Justice Moon issued an arrest warrant and requested the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office to execute it to forcibly summon Commissioner Jo, who had been absent from previous hearings due to health reasons.

Commissioner Jo is expected to testify on whether President Yoon, during the state of emergency, blocked members of the National Assembly from entering the National Assembly building, whether he ordered the removal of members inside the building, and whether there were any arrest orders for politicians, among other matters.

Meanwhile, President Yoon visited the Constitutional Court on the day of the 9th hearing but returned to Seoul Detention Center just before the hearing began. President Yoon's legal team stated that he came to attend the hearing but, after reviewing the progress so far and confirming that the day was for both sides' legal teams to explain their opinions, he returned to the detention center.