Court holds Yoon’s second preparatory hearing Friday

The Constitutional Court of Korea said Friday that it would hold a regular meeting on Monday, the first since becoming an eight-member system.
The court’s press officer Cheon Jae-hyun told reporters that acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae would convene a judges’ meeting Monday, where they are expected to share updates on several pending cases, including the impeachment trials of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. Discussions may also include whether to adjust the assignment of some cases or not.
Cheon added that the justices will also address topics related to resolving vacant positions in various committees inside the court, such as the research committee and review committee. Both have been inactive due to the vacancies.
The court had been operating since October with three vacancies in its nine-member bench. Following the inauguration of new justices Jung Gye-seon and Cho Han-chang on Wednesday, the court is now functioning with eight members.
The court also noted that Yoon’s legal representatives submitted a response statement on Friday morning, ahead of the second preparatory hearing for his impeachment trial scheduled for 2 p.m. the same day.
The submission came 20 days after the impeachment motion was passed on Dec. 14, and 14 days after the court started to regard Yoon as being notified of the upcoming trial on Dec. 20.
The details of Yoon’s response are expected to be disclosed during the second preparatory hearing.
The court added that the National Assembly also submitted its response and related evidence to the court on Thursday.
While it’s not compulsory for the parties involved, including Yoon, to appear at the preparatory hearing on Friday, the formal hearings require both parties to show. If they do not attend, the court needs to set a new date. Should they fail to appear again, the hearing can proceed without them.
Meanwhile, the court revealed that a total of 2,534 people applied for the nine seats open to the public inside the courtroom for Yoon’s second preparatory hearing on Friday -- a competition ratio of 281.5 to 1.
This is lower than the 2,251.5 to 1 competition ratio for the first preparatory hearing that took place on Dec. 27.
In 2016, the public seat competition ratio for the first preparatory hearing of former President Park Geun-hye was 6 to 1, whereas the rate for the first trial of Choi Seo-won (formerly Choi Soon-sil) at the Seoul Central District Court was 2.61 to 1.