South Korea’s constitutional court on Monday (Dec 16) kicked off impeachment proceedings against the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, two days after the leader was suspended from office. The proceedings began at 1000 am (GMT 0100).
In a statement to AFP, a spokesperson for the Constitutional Court said: “The first deliberative meeting in regard to the impeachment motion began at 1000 am (GMT 0100).”
Why is Yoon facing impeachment?
The impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol follows his controversial martial law decree. The move, which lawmakers described as an “insurrectionary” act, has thrown the nation into one of its worst political crises in recent years.
On Saturday (Dec 14), South Korean lawmakers impeached him with 204 votes. With the success of the impeachment bid, Yoon stands suspended from office as South Korea’s Constitutional Court deliberates on whether to uphold his removal. In the meantime, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will step in as the nation’s interim president.