Factbox-Impeached South Korean president builds legal team of allies, former co-workers

(Reuters) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, impeached for his decision to briefly impose martial law, is building a legal team to represent him at the Constitutional Court that will decide his political fate, as well as in looming criminal investigations.

Here are some members of the ex-prosecutor’s legal team, drawn from allies and friends from former workplaces:

BAE BO-YOON

Bae, a lawyer and former spokesperson of the Constitutional Court, is defending Yoon as the court decides whether to remove him from office or restore his presidential powers.

Having worked at the court for 26 years, Bae was research director and spokesperson during ousted former President Park Geun-hye’s impeachment trial between Dec 2016 and March 2017.

In a 2018 interview he told the Chosun Ilbo daily that he disagreed with the court’s decision in Park’s case, saying parliament’s impeachment motion was flawed, and its arguments confused legal responsibility with public confidence.

Bae also expressed regret in 2019 for not airing his views about Park’s impeachment trial at the time, and instead “playing the role of a simple reporter” as a spokesperson.

YOON KAP-KEUN

He attended Friday’s first Constitutional Court hearing of the impeachment trial as a representative of the president and is also set to function as media liaison.

He worked at the High Prosecutors’ Office in the southeastern city of Daegu around 2015, where Yoon was demoted to a rank-and-file prosecutor after clashing with then President Park Geun-hye.

He built a successful career as a prosecutor, cracking down on gangs, before being mired in a couple of bribery scandals.

He entered politics in 2019, but lost a parliamentary bid a year later as well as the ruling party’s primary for the 2024 general election.

SEOK DONG-HYEON

Seok, who has spoken to media on Yoon’s behalf and helped build the legal team in an unofficial capacity, called the martial law order order an “extreme drug prescription to stop the opposition’s abuse of power”.

The former prosecutor is a lifelong friend of Yoon, attending the prestigious Seoul National University before they worked together as prosecutors early in their careers.

During Yoon’s presidential run in 2021, Seok said he would become an exceptional leader who was humble but good at communicating with people.

Seok has said he also advised Yoon to join the conservative People Power Party when he was hesitant about entering politics.

He been vocal in his support of Yoon on social media, saying on Facebook that though the declaration may have been a shock to the public, it did not constitute insurrection.

(Reporting by Ju-min Park, Joyce Lee; Editing by Ed Davies and Clarence Fernandez)