South Korea s parliament presses for Yoon s removal as impeachment trial winds down

SEOUL - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol could try to impose martial law again or undermine constitutional institutions should he be reinstated, lawyers for Parliament argued on Feb 18 as his impeachment trial entered its final phase.

After weeks of testimony by high-ranking current and former officials, including some facing criminal charges for their role in the brief imposition of martial law on Dec 3, lawyers for both sides summarised their arguments and evidence at the Constitutional Court.

“Declaring martial law in a situation that doesn’t fit a national emergency is a declaration of dictatorship and military rule,” lawyer for the Parliament Kim Jin-han, told the justices.

He cited pro-Yoon protesters who stormed a different court in January.

“If he returns to work, we don’t know if he will again exercise martial law,” Mr Kim said. “If he returns to work, we can’t rule out the possibility that he will attack other state and constitutional institutions.”

The Constitutional Court is due to hold another hearing to question three more witnesses on Feb 20, including the impeached prime minister and the former police chief.

The court is reviewing Parliaments impeachment of Mr Yoon on Dec 14 and will decide whether to remove him from office permanently or reinstate him. If he is removed, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.

Mr Yoon has argued that he had a right as president to issue his martial law decree, which lasted around six hours before he rescinded it in the face of parliamentary opposition. He said the move was also justified by political deadlock and threats from “anti-state forces” sympathetic to North Korea.

His case at the Constitutional Court has also included arguments that he never actually intended to stop parliament from operating, even though the order was publicly