[News Today] IMPEACHMENT HEARINGS TO BEGIN

[LEAD]
The Constitutional Court will commence its in-depth review of President Yoon's impeachment tomorrow. We examine the central issues at stake.

[REPORT]
One of the key issues the Constitutional Court will examine is whether the declaration of martial law itself violates the constitution and the law.

The president's legal team insists that declaring martial law is a constitutional authority of the president and an act of high-level governance.

Yun Gap-geun / Lawyer for President Yoon Suk Yeol (Jan. 9)
The president declared emergency martial law, which is within his constitutional
authority, to restore free democracy.

In contrast, the National Assembly views martial law as an attack on the country's system that undermines constitutional order.

Kim Yi-su / Lawyer (Parliamentary impeachment team)
Declaring emergency martial law is the first major attack on Korea's democracy and constitutional order since the 1987 pro-democracy movement.

The second issue to be deliberated by the court is whether the first martial law decree, which banned parliamentary and political activities, rallies and demonstrations and restricted the press, violated the constitution.

The court will also review the acts of mobilizing the military and police to disrupt legitimate parliamentary activities, as well as raiding the National Election Commission without a search warrant.

The president's legal team told the court that emergency martial law was declared to find out election irregularities.

However, the National Assembly plans to prove the attempt to detain high-profile politicians and NEC officials using various evidence, such as CCTV footage and witness testimonies.

The president's order to arrest a court justice has also been added to the list of issues subject to deliberation, with its adoption to be decided in the upcoming court proceedings.