President Yoon Suk Yeol attends the third hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Jan. 21, over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol's legal team in his impeachment case said Saturday it has submitted a formal request to the Constitutional Court, urging three justices to recuse themselves, citing concerns over impartiality.

Yoon's team said it made a request Friday for the recusals of Justice Moon Hyung-bae, Justice Lee Mi-seon and Justice Chung Gye-seon over concerns of potential political bias.

The team pointed to Moon, the acting chief justice, of having engaged in social media interaction with Lee Jae-myung, head of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, in the past, raising suspicions of political impartiality.

Yoon's lawyers also raised concerns over Lee, noting that her brother is a vice chairman of a committee at the Lawyers for a Democratic Society and has demanded the president's resignation.

For Chung, Yoon's team raised concerns that her husband, a lawyer, signed a public declaration calling for Yoon's impeachment.

The team argued the inclinations of the justices have already influenced the court's handling of the case.

Many legal watchers believe the Constitutional Court is unlikely to grant the request, as it has recently expressed concern over accusations targeting the court's judicial independence. (Yonhap)