South Korea court begins review of Yoon impeachment

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00:00After members of his own People Power Party tipped the balance against President Yoon Suk-kyo in Saturday's impeachment vote,

00:07the president is increasingly isolated, his own party leader apologising for his actions.

00:17I am stepping down as party leader.

00:21I sincerely apologise to everyone who suffered and was afraid over the martial law declaration.

00:28The Constitutional Court convened on Monday and has 180 days to decide whether to reinstate the president

00:35who drew mass protests after a brief declaration of martial law,

00:39or uphold the impeachment, triggering a 60-day countdown to new elections.

00:44Yoon's declaration of martial law on the 3rd of December was well documented.

00:48Now the court must rule on its constitutionality.

00:53Our constitution states that to declare martial law the country should be either at war,

00:58going through a major incident, or in a state of national emergency equivalent to war in the danger it poses.

01:04So the Constitutional Court would decide whether it was declared in such circumstances.

01:11Yoon maintains that martial law was a justifiable response to the main opposition party frustrating his parliamentary agenda.

01:19MPs he qualified as anti-state forces.

01:23Also facing criminal charges of insurrection and abuse of power,

01:27Monday was the second day in a row that he has not responded to a summons for questioning.

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