South Korea's Constitutional Court has begun trial proceedings for President Yeon Suk-yeol, who was suspended for declaring martial law and plunging his country into political turmoil.
Representatives voted to impeach Yoon last Saturday, after his actions sparked widespread protests demanding that he step down.
The court now has six months to decide whether to remove Yoon or reinstate him.
Yoon's ruling People Power Party has been facing the repercussions ever since, with its leader announcing his resignation on Monday.
While public hearings in Yoon's impeachment trial could take months, the court is under pressure to make a quick decision and put an end to political uncertainty. The demonstrators vowed to continue their calls for Yoon's dismissal during the court proceedings.
In the previous two cases, the South Korean president faced impeachment, and the court overturned one decision and upheld the other.
Observers say what will complicate Yoon's trial is the fact that the court has only six of the nine justices, three of whom recently retired and have not yet been replaced.
If the court upholds the indictment in Yoon's case, the country must hold new presidential elections within 60 days. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Han Dak-soo serves as acting president.
It is unclear whether Yoon will take the stand himself during the court hearings.
He ignored a summons to meet prosecutors in Seoul on Sunday, and is scheduled to be summoned again for questioning. If he fails to come forward this week, police may move to arrest him.
Yoon defended his decision to impose martial law, and after his impeachment he again said he would fight to the end.
Minutes after the Constitutional Court convened on Monday morning, Pakistan People's Party leader Han Dong-hun announced his resignation.
Getty Images“I sincerely apologize to all the people experiencing this emergency,” Hahn said in a televised news conference.
Hahn faced increasing calls for his resignation, especially from the large pro-Leon faction in his party, after the president's impeachment.
Han initially tried to organize Yoon's exit in an orderly manner. But yet Defiant speech By Yoon, Han had a change of heart and called for his impeachment, saying it was the only way to stop him.
On Saturday, 12 PPP lawmakers voted in favor of impeachment, allowing the motion to pass. But most other PPP lawmakers voted against Yoon's impeachment.
All five members of the PPP Supreme Council said after the vote that they would resign, which would automatically lead to the dissolution of the party leadership.
Since the Supreme Council had been “destroyed”, Han, it was now “impossible” to perform his duties as party head.
“Although it pains me to think about my grieving supporters, I do not regret it,” Han said, referring to his decision to call for Yoon’s impeachment.
