Seoul: Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who has been arrested on charges of insurrection and abuse of power related to President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid, will appear for witness questioning in Yoon's impeachment trial next week, the Constitutional Court announced.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim resigned shortly after Yoon's brief martial law declaration last month. He is scheduled to be questioned as a witness next Thursday at the request of Yoon's legal team, as confirmed by the court's spokesperson, Cheon Jae-hyun. "There was a request from the appellee's side yesterday, and a decision was made today, considering various circumstances," Cheon stated during a briefing.
Initially, the court had planned to question Kim on February 6, following the testimonies of five other witnesses requested by the National Assembly's legal representatives, who act as prosecutors in the impeachment trial. However, Yoon's lawyers sought a rescheduling to prioritize Kim's testimony.
In addition to Kim, Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the National Police Agency, is also set to testify next Thursday. Other officials, including Lt. Gen. Lee Jin-woo, head of the Capital Defense Command, are scheduled for questioning next month. Prosecutors charged Kim late last month with engaging in activities deemed essential for an insurrection and abusing his power during Yoon's failed martial law declaration on December 3.