The fifth hearing of the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk-yeol will take place on the 4th. On that day, former Army Capital Defense Command Commander Lee Jin-woo, former National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Yeon In-hyung, and former NIS Vice Administrator Hong Jang-won will attend as witnesses.
The Constitutional Court will hold the fifth hearing of President Yoon's impeachment trial at 2 p.m. that day and plans to question the witnesses starting at 2:30 p.m. at 90-minute intervals.
Former Commanders Lee Jin-woo and Yeon In-hyung, as well as former Vice Administrator Hong Jang-won, are all witnesses for the National Assembly. The National Assembly will conduct the initial questioning, followed by a cross-examination by President Yoon's side to verify the credibility of the witnesses' testimonies. The judges will also directly ask questions about the situation during the state of emergency during the questioning process.
Former Commanders Lee Jin-woo and Yeon In-hyung are currently detained and indicted on charges related to significant duties in connection with insurrection. Since their criminal trials are ongoing, it is possible that they may refuse to testify during the impeachment trial due to potential negative implications.
The Special Investigation Headquarters for the State of Emergency (led by Chief Prosecutor Park Se-hyun) believes that they received orders from President Yoon or former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun to block the National Assembly or prevent the resolution for lifting the martial law and to arrest specific individuals, including politicians.
Former Commander Lee Jin-woo is reported to have testified that he directly received a phone call from President Yoon on the day of the martial law saying, 'Go to the main conference room and have four people carry out one each. Break down the door and drag them out, even if you have to shoot.'
Former Commander Yeon In-hyung is said to have been instructed by former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun to arrest and detain about 10 key figures, including Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung and former People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon during the martial law.
Former Vice Administrator Hong Jang-won is known to be the individual who revealed that President Yoon directly instructed the arrest of key politicians immediately after the declaration of martial law. He testified in the National Assembly and elsewhere that he received a call from President Yoon around 10:35 p.m. on the day of the martial law saying, 'This time, capture all of them and sort them out completely.'
President Yoon's side argued that it was a 'warning martial law' and that there was no intention to obstruct the National Assembly's legislative activities, asserting that the orders to arrest politicians were untrue.