Constitutional Court to hold first pretrial hearing on PM Han’s impeachment on Jan. 13

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, center, leaves the government complex in Seoul, Dec. 27, 2024. Yonhap

The Constitutional Court plans to hold its first pretrial hearing on the impeachment trial of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Jan. 13, judicial officials said Monday.

The court has informed the legal representatives of the National Assembly and the prime minister that it would hold the first preparatory hearing on Han’s impeachment at 4 p.m. next Monday, according to the officials.

The opposition-dominated National Assembly voted to impeach Han on Dec. 27, less than two weeks after he took over as acting president due to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s own impeachment over his short-lived imposition of martial law.

The hearing will discuss witness and evidence selection among other preparatory procedures, while Han will not be required to attend it. Such sessions usually take place two to three times before oral arguments begin.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea has listed Han’s alleged involvement in Yoon’s martial law imposition and his refusal to appoint new Constitutional Court justices as grounds for his impeachment.

The ruling People Power Party has called Han’s impeachment invalid, filing an injunction for its suspension to the Constitutional Court. (Yonhap)