Constitutional Court to Deliver Verdict on Impeachment Trial of Commissioner General Jo Jiho over Martial Law Involvement on the 18th

[Financial News] The Constitutional Court of Korea is set to rule on the possible dismissal of Jo Jiho, Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency, who was impeached for his alleged involvement in the December 3 Martial Law Incident. The decision comes nearly a year after the impeachment motion was passed.
On the 15th, the Constitutional Court of Korea announced through a press release that it will deliver verdicts on a total of 44 cases, including the impeachment trial of Commissioner General Jo, at 2 p.m. on the 18th in the main courtroom.
Commissioner General Jo was impeached by the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea on December 12 last year. He is accused of deploying police forces to restrict lawmakers' access to the National Assembly during the martial law declaration, and of stationing police at the National Election Commission (NEC) and the National Election Institute.
The Constitutional Court of Korea held its first preparatory hearing on July 1 and then proceeded with a full trial. Commissioner General Jo attended three hearings in total before the upcoming verdict. The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea argued that Jo had been informed in advance of the martial law plans by former President Yoon Suk Yeol and cooperated with them. In contrast, Jo's legal team acknowledged he was briefed on the plans but denied any cooperation in their execution.
In his final statement, Commissioner General Jo said, "I met with former President Yoon and former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun at a secure location, and during the ten-minute meeting, the President did most of the talking," adding, "If I had had even a single opportunity to speak, I would have said that martial law was a grave mistake, and I say this with a clear conscience."
Meanwhile, Commissioner General Jo was indicted and detained in January on charges of participating in a rebellion related to the December 3 Martial Law Incident. The court later granted him bail, considering his need for treatment of chronic illnesses such as blood cancer.
scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter