South Korea: Police raid presidential safe house, security service in martial law probe

Seoul, Dec 27 South Korean police on Friday raided a presidential safe house where President Yoon Suk Yeol allegedly met senior police officials to discuss his plan to impose martial law.

The aim of the raid was to secure CCTV footage and identify the people who entered the building just hours before martial law was declared on December 3, police said.

A simultaneous raid was attempted on the Presidential Security Service, located separately on the presidential office compound, but investigators were blocked from entering, according to the police.

Police also failed to obtain the security camera footage, as the Presidential Security Service denied them access to the safe house, citing official and military secrets. After a three-hour standoff, the officers retreated empty-handed, Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier in the day, South Korea's Constitutional Court said it would swiftly proceed with President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial as it wrapped up the case's first hearing, with the next hearing on the trial set for January 3.

The court made the announcement during the preparatory hearing for the trial on the validity of Yoon's impeachment by the National Assembly this month over his failed imposition of martial law on December 3.

"The case on the President's impeachment is more important than any other case," Justice Cheong Hyung-sik, one of the judges for the preparatory proceedings, said, noting the court first deals with cases that are "most urgent."

"The date was decided by considering the seriousness and gravity of the impeachment trial's impact on state affairs and the public," Justice Lee Mi-son, another Constitutional Court judge, said, referring to the date of the next hearing.

The hearing brought together the legal representatives of both Yoon and the National Assembly for the first time to lay out their cases, present their list of witnesses and evidence, and coordinate the dates of future proceedings.

Yoon, who was not required to attend the hearing, did not appear as expected.

During the hearing, Yoon's lawyers said they would dispute the legality of the request for the impeachment trial, apparently referring to possible procedural issues regarding Yoon's impeachment motion at the National Assembly.

Meanwhile, they acknowledged Yoon's declaration of martial law and the announcement of its decree as fact but said they would later clarify details surrounding the background of the declaration.

Until Friday morning, Yoon had refused to accept documents related to his trial and failed to appoint a legal defence team to handle the case.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly was represented by former Constitutional Court Justice Kim Yi-su and former National Human Rights Commission Chairman Song Doo-hwan, among others.

Yoon has denied charges he incited an insurrection by declaring martial law on December 3, arguing it was an "act of governance" and a warning against what he described as an abuse of legislative power by the main opposition Democratic Party.

Source: IANS