This handout from the South Korean Presidential Office via Yonhap taken and released on December 14, 2024 shows President Yoon Suk Yeol giving a public address from his official residence in Seoul. South Korean Presidential Office via Yonhap/AFP

Agence France-Presse

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17343159551821734248614997AFP__20241214__36QB3BH__v2__Preview__TopshotSkoreaPoliticsUnrest.jpeg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>This handout from the South Korean Presidential Office via Yonhap taken and released on December 14, 2024 shows President Yoon Suk Yeol giving a public address from his official residence in Seoul. South Korean Presidential Office via Yonhap/AFP</div>South Korea&#x27;s constitutional court kicked off proceedings on Monday over the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been suspended from office over his failed bid to impose martial law. Yoon was removed by South Korea&#x27;s parliament on Saturday over his short-lived attempt to suspend civilian rule, which plunged the country into its worst political turmoil in years. The Constitutional Court has around six months to determine whether to uphold the impeachment. <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/15/s-korean-opposition-urges-swift-removal-of-impeached-president-yoon-1647">S. Korean opposition urges swift removal of impeached President Yoon</a> Fresh elections must be held within two months if he is removed. The court formally began proceedings at 10 am on Monday, a spokesman told AFP. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is serving as interim leader in Yoon&#x27;s stead. A separate investigation into Yoon and his inner circle over the December 3 martial law declaration has rumbled on as the turmoil deepened. Yoon remains under a travel ban while the probe is underway. The prosecution said in a news release on Sunday they had summoned Yoon for questioning over the insurrection allegations &quot;but he refused to comply&quot;. They said they would issue a &quot;second summons&quot;, with Yonhap news agency reporting that could come on Monday. Vast protests against Yoon, with smaller rallies supporting him, have rocked the South Korean capital since his martial law decree. Demonstrators in both camps have vowed to keep up the pressure as the Constitutional Court mulls Yoon&#x27;s fate. Police arrested both the current and former heads of the Defence Intelligence Command on Sunday in connection to the insurrection allegations, Yonhap reported. Prosecutors said they were also seeking an arrest warrant for the head of the Army Special Warfare Command Kwak Jong-keun, according to Yonhap. Kwak is accused of sending special forces troops to parliament during the martial law bid, sparking a dramatic confrontation between soldiers and parliamentary staff. The head of Yoon&#x27;s ruling People Power Party (PPP), who has not been linked to the martial law bid and expressed support for impeachment, said on Monday he would resign. &quot;I sincerely apologise to all the people who have suffered due to the emergency martial law incident,&quot; Han Dong-hoon told a news conference in Seoul.<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3VJCw3GmAiM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div><div> NORTH KOREA WEIGHS IN</div><div> </div>The South Korean government has meanwhile sought to project an air of business as usual.&quot; Acting president Han held a call on Sunday with US President Joe Biden, who underscored the strength of bilateral ties. Han has also ordered the military to &quot;enhance vigilance&quot; against North Korea, with which the South technically remains at war. <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/12/south-korea-s-yoon-vows-to-fight-until-the-very-last-minute-1018">South Korea&#x27;s Yoon vows to fight &#x27;until the very last minute&#x27;</a> North Korean state media decried Yoon as a &quot;ringleader of rebellion&quot; on Monday, its first reaction to his impeachment. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Yoon had attempted to shift responsibility for the &quot;foolish emergency martial law declaration&quot; onto opposition parties. &quot;The investigation into puppet Yoon Suk Yeol, the ringleader of the rebellion, and his accomplices is under way,&quot; KCNA said. &quot;The puppet Constitutional Court will finally decide&quot; on whether to remove Yoon, it said. North Korean state media often refers to the South&#x27;s leaders and institutions as being a &quot;puppet&quot; of Seoul&#x27;s treaty ally, the United States. KCNA previously described the South as being &quot;in chaos&quot; over the martial law order. Relations between the two Koreas have been at one of their lowest points in years, with the North launching a flurry of ballistic missiles in violation of UN sanctions. <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/12/south-korea-vows-safety-of-travelers-as-political-tensions-persist-1842">South Korea vows safety of travelers as political tensions persist</a> <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/14/tears-of-joy-k-pop-on-seoul-streets-as-yoon-impeached-2041">Tears of joy, K-pop on Seoul streets as Yoon impeached</a> © Agence France-Presse

South Korea's constitutional court kicked off proceedings on Monday over the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been suspended from office over his failed bid to impose martial law.

South Korea's constitutional court kicked off proceedings on Monday over the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been suspended from office over his failed bid to impose martial law.

Top South Korean court begins Yoon impeachment trial | ABS-CBN

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

World

Top South Korean court begins Yoon impeachment trial

Top South Korean court begins Yoon impeachment trial

Agence France-Presse

Published Dec 16, 2024 10:43 AM PHT

Read More:

ABSNews

ANC promo

South Korea

martial law

South Korea martial law

South Korea president

OFW

Filipinos in South Korea

South Korea travel

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2024 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Advertise with Us

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

© 2024 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.