Jeong, a newly appointed justice who joined the bench earlier this month after being nominated by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), is part of the panel handling the trial over Yoon's botched martial law debacle last month.
The court said that Yoon's request was dismissed by the unanimous decision of the rest of the justices during the first formal hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial, which ended in just a few minutes as Yoon failed to appear.
Yoon's legal representatives requested to disqualify Jeong the previous day, casting doubts on her impartiality and potential bias in deliberating the case.
They argued that Jeong's spouse is an attorney working at a foundation led by left-leaning lawyers, who are assumed to be inclined toward Yoon's ouster. Jeong herself expressed similar sentiments during her National Assembly hearing prior to her appointment.
The court also rejected Yoon's other request to reschedule his hearings, which he claimed had been set without consulting him.
As planned, the court will meet twice a week until early February, holding five hearings with the possibility of additional sessions. The next hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
reporter
Kim Joo-heon
jhkim123@ajunews.com
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