South Korea’s Constitutional Court orders Yoon to submit martial law decree, Cabinet meeting minutes

South Korea's Constitutional Court has ordered President Yoon Suk Yeol to submit the martial law decree he issued on December 3, along with the minutes from two Cabinet meetings held before and after the declaration.

Lee Jin, a court spokesperson, told journalists that the order was sent electronically Tuesday as the court gathers evidence for his impeachment trial. Yoon was asked to also submit his plans for defending himself and a list of evidence, News.Az reports, citing Yonhap.

The deadline for submission is next Tuesday.

Rep. Jung Chung-rai of the main opposition Democratic Party, the plaintiff in the impeachment trial as chair of the National Assembly's legislation committee, was separately ordered to submit plans to support parliament's case and a list of evidence.

The Cabinet meetings in question have been a source of controversy as they allegedly skipped due procedures. The interior ministry earlier said minutes of the meetings did not exist.

Whether the court order will be delivered to Yoon remains uncertain.

The court's earlier attempts to deliver papers related to the impeachment trial failed after either the presidential office or the Presidential Security Service was marked absent or refused to receive the mail.

Lee said the court's hearings will be open to the public and the press, though they will not be broadcast live in order to "prevent disturbances and maintain order in court."

Previous impeachment trials involving former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye were also not broadcast live, except for the sentencing hearings.

News.Az