S. KOREA'S CONSTITUTIONAL COURT TO START ORAL ARGUMENTS FOR YOON'S IMPEACHMENT TRIAL ON JAN 14

SEOUL, Jan 3 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korea's Constitutional Court said on Friday it would hold the first oral arguments for the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol on 14 January, as it wrapped up its preparatory proceedings, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Justice Lee Mi-son announced that the session would take place at 2:00 p.m. on 14 January, as the legal representatives of Yoon and the National Assembly met for the second preparatory hearing for the trial on Yoon's impeachment.

The session will take place exactly one month after the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon on Dec 14 over his short-lived imposition of martial law.

The court also decided to hold the trial's next arguments on Jan 16 in case Yoon fails to appear for the first session.

Yoon is required to attend the first arguments but the court can still proceed with the trial even if he fails to show up for the second session.

Ahead of the hearing, legal representatives from the National Assembly claimed an insurrection led by Yoon was ongoing, while Yoon's defence team rejected the notion of an insurrection.

"The insurrection is still not over and is ongoing," Rep. Jung Chung-rae told reporters outside the court. "The whole public is watching through live TV as insurrection leader Yoon Suk Yeol obstructs justice and doesn't respond to a court-issued warrant."

Investigators tried to detain Yoon earlier in the day but decided to suspend their attempt after an hours-long standoff with security personnel at his residence.

Meanwhile, Yoon's legal team called for "thoroughly" reviewing evidence to check for wrongdoing.

"Evidence must be thoroughly contested to see if there was actual wrongdoing," Bae Jin-han, one of Yoon's lawyers, said. "It is not advisable to use the term insurrection."

Yoon has denied charges he incited an insurrection by declaring martial law, arguing it was an "act of governance" and a warning against what he described as an abuse of legislative power by the main opposition Democratic Party.

He currently faces arrest after a court issued a warrant to detain him.

The Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether to uphold or dismiss the impeachment from the day it received the case on Dec 14.

If the impeachment is upheld, Yoon will be removed from office, triggering a snap presidential election within 60 days. If it is dismissed, he will be reinstated.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP