Public support for Yoon grows as impeachment trial hearings end

Change in sentiment due to prolonged instability, fears over next leader: Analysts

- Wendy Teo

SEOUL - South Korea's Constitutional Court held its 11th and last hearing in President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial on Feb 25, with the verdict expected to be announced in two weeks' time.

The trial, which began at 2pm, lasted nearly 8 1/2 hours as both the National Assembly and Mr Yoon's legal teams presented their final arguments, with Mr Yoon allowed to deliver a final statement without any time limit.

Appearing at the court some six hours after the session began, Mr Yoon, wearing his characteristic navy blue suit, insisted that his declaration of martial law on Dec 3, 2024, was "completely different" from past martial law decrees that "evoked negative memories of the past".

"It was not an attempt to suppress the people by force but a desperate appeal to the people using the form of martial law," he said, urging the judges to consider the facts of the case carefully, and calling the impeachment "a political ploy by the opposition to overthrow a democratically elected president".

Mr Yoon repeated his earlier accusations that the opposition-dominated National Assembly had paralysed the government by blocking policy reforms, impeaching high-ranking officials and working against national security by slashing budgets and sabotaging key national defence projects.

He ended his 67-minute final statement with a promise to focus on constitutional reforms and foreign policy should he be allowed to return to office, and would leave domestic matters to the prime minister.

The National Assembly, acting as prosecutors in the impeachment trial, accuses Mr Yoon of violating the Constitution by calling for martial law, a decree which is reserved for national emergencies or times of war.