First hearing ends in 4 minutes

[Anchor]

Today (1.14), the first hearing date for the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol was held, but it ended in just four minutes due to the President's absence.

The Constitutional Court dismissed the request for the recusal of Justice Jeong Gye-seon raised by President Yoon's side with a unanimous decision from the justices.

Kim Tae-hoon reports.

[Report]

President Yoon Suk Yeol did not appear at the first hearing held today.

Previously, he had stated that "the impeachment trial should come before the investigation," but with his absence from the Constitutional Court, the first hearing ended in just four minutes.

[Moon Hyung-bae/Acting Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court: "The respondent did not appear. According to Article 52, Paragraph 1 of the Constitutional Court Act, we will not proceed with the hearing."]

The request for the recusal of Justice Jeong Gye-seon raised by President Yoon's side was dismissed.

The Constitutional Court explained that this decision was made unanimously by the remaining seven justices, excluding Justice Jeong, who is a party to the case.

It also stated that the issue raised by President Yoon's side regarding the 'blanket scheduling of hearing dates' was not problematic.

President Yoon's side expressed opposition, claiming it was not in accordance with legal principles.

[Yoon Gap-geun/President Yoon's Attorney: "(The blanket scheduling of hearing dates) directly violates the law, and the Constitutional Court, which should uphold and enforce the law, is overstepping its authority."]

The National Assembly's impeachment prosecution team criticized President Yoon's absence.

[Park Beom-kye/Impeachment Prosecutor of the National Assembly: "He is repeatedly showing behavior that extremely despises, humiliates, and ignores the law."]

President Yoon's side submitted a response to the Constitutional Court today, continuing the argument that emergency martial law is not a violation of the Constitution, while the National Assembly's prosecution team submitted opinions through pretrial documents stating that the emergency martial law infringed upon the basic rights of the people.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly's prosecution team has requested five witnesses, including former National Intelligence Service Deputy Director Hong Jang-won, National Police Chief Cho Ji-ho, and Army Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-geun.

As the first hearing was adjourned, the substantive hearing is expected to begin on the second hearing date scheduled for the 16th.

The Constitutional Court plans to proceed with the trial from the second hearing date regardless of President Yoon's attendance.

KBS News, Kim Tae-hoon.