South Korea’s Constitutional Court will hold full-day hearings for President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment trial from 10 a.m. next month. Previously, hearings began at 2 p.m. and lasted three to four hours, but the court has decided to extend sessions starting Feb. 6.
“The extended hearing time reflects the need for more witness examinations as the defense is in full swing,” the Constitutional Court said. The trial is expected to conclude as early as late February or, at the latest, in March.
Nine other impeachment cases are pending before the Constitutional Court, including those of former acting president Han Duck-soo and three prosecutors involved in cases linked to Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. Many of these cases have not begun formal arguments or are in their early stages. Some legal experts have raised concerns that the Constitutional Court may rush through President Yoon’s trial due to public pressure while neglecting other cases.
During former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment trial, the court held 17 hearings, alternating between morning and afternoon sessions. Hearings that involved key witnesses such as Choi Soon-sil lasted over 10 hours. In contrast, former President Roh Moo-hyun’s impeachment trial consisted of seven hearings, all held in the afternoon.
President Yoon’s impeachment trial, which began on Dec. 27 last year, has so far included two preparatory hearings and four defense hearings. The fifth defense hearing is scheduled for Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. as usual, while the hearings on Feb. 6, 11, and 13 will be full-day sessions starting in the morning.
Legal experts predict that the Constitutional Court will issue a ruling before April 18, when Justices Moon Hyung-bae and Lee Mi-son retire. The final deadline for a verdict is June 11, 180 days from the National Assembly’s impeachment resolution. However, past cases suggest that a ruling might be announced earlier. Park Geun-hye’s impeachment ruling was delivered in 91 days, while Roh Moo-hyun’s took only 63 days.