Yoon’s last chance to accept the verdict and apologize

President Yoon Suk Yeol will deliver his closing arguments on the final day of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court on Tuesday. This marks the first time in the history of the Constitution that a sitting president will personally present closing arguments before the Constitutional Court. If the impeachment is upheld, it could be Yoon's last public speech, prompting calls for a sincere apology for martial law and a message of national unity.

According to legal circles on Monday, Yoon, who is being held in a Seoul detention center, prepared his final statement in his own handwriting and reviewed the manuscript one last time. “The president has been preparing what he wants to say himself, without his representatives being involved,” a representative for Yoon said. While some have speculated that the speech could include a proposal to revise the Constitution to shorten the president's term, Yoon's spokesperson stated, “President Yoon has listened to various opinions and is pondering them. A ‘shortened term’ is not what the president means.” Unlike Yoon, former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye did not appear in person at the Constitutional Court during their impeachment trials and had their defense attorneys read their closing arguments.

During the 11th pleading session, which will begin at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, President Yoon and the National Assembly's impeachment commissioner, National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jung Chung-rae, will deliver their closing statements without time limits. The National Assembly and President Yoon's lawyers will each have two hours to present comprehensive arguments on the grounds for impeachment, followed by Chairman Jung and then President Yoon’s closing statement.

The National Assembly is expected to reiterate its argument that President Yoon's declaration of martial law constitutes a grave constitutional violation, both procedurally and substantively, necessitating his immediate removal. Yoon is expected to argue that the opposition party’s impeachment of cabinet members and budget cuts have effectively created a “state of emergency,” justifying martial law.


Hyung-Jun Hwang constant25@donga.com