The impeachment trial of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is approaching its conclusion. The 11th and final round of oral arguments is scheduled for Tuesday. This session comes 73 days after the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion and submitted it to South Korea’s Constitutional Court.
Yoon, making history as the first sitting South Korean president to present his final statement in an impeachment trial directly, is drawing significant attention. Given the significance of his direct involvement, all eyes are on how long this final argument will last.
The Constitutional Court will begin the 11th session of the impeachment trial at 2 p.m. (KST) on Tuesday, with plans to wrap up the proceedings by the end of the day.
The final hearing will follow a structured procedure, including examining evidence, closing arguments from the National Assembly (the petitioner) and Yoon’s legal team (the respondent), and final statements from both sides. The length of the evidence review will depend on any new evidence introduced, and each side has been allocated two hours for their closing arguments.
There is no specific time limit for the final statements from either side. Reports suggest that Yoon has worked closely with his legal team to finalize his strategy before this crucial hearing.
During his closing argument, Yoon is expected to emphasize the legality and necessity of declaring martial law during the tumultuous period that sparked his impeachment. This approach sets him apart from previous South Korean presidents, such as Roh Moo Hyun and Park Geun Hye, who chose not to attend their impeachment trials and instead had their legal representatives deliver final statements on their behalf.
Yoon will likely reaffirm his earlier stance on the justification for declaring a state of emergency, alongside his reasons for seeking an investigation into alleged election fraud.
Some political analysts believe that Yoon may also take this opportunity to present a vision for his future governance, mainly focusing on party unity and the potential dismissal of the impeachment. Another point of interest is whether Yoon will express regret for the social unrest caused by the martial law declaration. Observers predict that Yoon might use his final statement as a platform for launching a broader public relations campaign, possibly through a national address, ahead of the verdict.
The exact duration of the final arguments remains uncertain.
For context, the final arguments in the impeachment trial of former President Roh Moo Hyun on April 30, 2004, lasted 3 hours and 12 minutes, excluding a 20-minute recess. The Constitutional Court had initially set a 30-minute time limit for each side’s final statements, but five representatives from the National Assembly, including impeachment manager Kim Ki Chun, spoke for nearly two hours.
In the impeachment trial of former President Park Geun Hye on February 27, 2017, the final arguments lasted 6 hours and 17 minutes, including a 20-minute recess. The court’s four justices, including the Chairman, delivered their closing arguments for about an hour and 14 minutes, while Park’s legal team—comprising 15 attorneys—took turns making their case for over five hours.
In this impeachment trial, closing arguments from both sides have been allocated four hours. However, if the legal teams for the National Assembly and Yoon take turns delivering their statements, the session could extend beyond the allotted time.
With evidence examination and final statements to be considered, some experts predict the proceedings could last more than seven hours and potentially run late into the night.