SEOUL — The legal team of imprisoned South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has formally requested the recusal of three justices from the Constitutional Court as it reviews his impeachment case, local media reported on Saturday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon’s lawyers filed the request on Friday, calling for the removal of three justices, including acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae, over concerns of potential political bias.
The Constitutional Court is currently deliberating on Yoon’s impeachment, following a parliamentary vote on December 14 to remove him from office over his controversial December 3 martial law declaration. If the court upholds the impeachment, Yoon will be permanently removed from office, triggering new presidential elections within two months. However, if the court rejects the motion, the embattled 63-year-old leader will be reinstated.
Yoon was first detained on January 15 before being formally arrested on January 19 as part of a broad investigation into his defense of the December 3 martial law decree. On January 26, he was indicted, further complicating his political future. — Agencies