The Constitutional Court began its seventh hearing Tuesday in President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment trial in connection with his short-lived martial law decree in December. 

The National Assembly’s impeachment panel said Tuesday that the past six hearings sufficiently revealed the unconstitutional and illegal nature of Yoon’s decision to impose martial law.

Addressing reporters before the 10 a.m. hearing, lawyer Kim Yi-su said that no matter how difficult a political situation the president faced, he should have consulted sufficiently with the National Assembly and the opposition party.

Lee Kwang-beom, another lawyer on the panel, also highlighted the illegal nature of the martial law decree, saying it banned political activities, including the activities of the National Assembly, and that the police prevented lawmakers from entering the parliament on the night of December 3.

Yoon’s side noted that the National Human Rights Commission of Korea has adopted a recommendation to guarantee Yoon’s right to defend himself during his impeachment trial.

Yoon’s legal team said the state human rights watchdog recommended that the Constitutional Court follow strict legal procedures, comparable to those in criminal proceedings, when deliberating Yoon’s impeachment case.