Yoon faces arrest following court decision, standoff delays detention

Seoul (The Uttam Hindu): South Korea's Constitutional Court will begin oral arguments in the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol on January 14, following the completion of its preparatory proceedings. The session is set for 2:00 p.m. on that day, exactly one month after the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon on December 14 over his brief imposition of martial law. The court also scheduled a follow-up session for January 16 in case Yoon fails to appear for the first hearing. While Yoon is required to attend, the trial may continue even without his presence at the second session. Ahead of the hearing, legal representatives from the National Assembly claimed that Yoon was leading an ongoing insurrection. In contrast, Yoon's defense team rejected this assertion, calling for a thorough review of the evidence to assess any wrongdoing. They argued that the term "insurrection" was inappropriate.

Yoon has denied the accusations, stating that his martial law declaration was a governance measure in response to alleged abuse of legislative power by the opposition Democratic Party. He currently faces arrest following a court's decision to issue a detention warrant, though the attempt to detain him earlier was suspended after a standoff with security personnel. The Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether to uphold or dismiss the impeachment. If upheld, Yoon will be removed from office, prompting a snap presidential election within 60 days. If dismissed, he will be reinstated.