South Korea court to hear closing statements in Yoon's impeachment trial

25/2/2025 12:49

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to make a closing statement on Tuesday in a Constitutional Court trial reviewing his impeachment, as public hearings wrap up and his political fate is placed in the hands of eight judges.



Yoon faces being removed from office less than three years into his five-year presidency if the court upholds parliament's impeachment, which accused him of declaring martial law on December 3 with no justifiable constitutional grounds.



The president has said in his trial he had a right to declare martial law but never meant to impose full military rule, instead arguing he intended to sound a warning over the opposition Democratic Party's abuse of its parliamentary majority.



Yoon and the chairman of parliament's judiciary committee, Jung Chung-rae, will give their final statements on Tuesday at a hearing that is due to start at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT). The justices are expected to take days to rule on whether to remove him from office or reinstate him.



Yoon has said during the trial that martial law, which lasted just six hours before he rescinded the decree, was not a failure but simply ended sooner than he intended.