South Korea’s impeached President, Yoon Suk Yeol, will not attend the first hearing of his impeachment trial, scheduled for next week, due to safety concerns.
This was disclosed in a statement by his lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, on Sunday.
DAILY POST reports that the embattled president has been holed up in the presidential residence, protected by an elite guard unit since his suspension and impeachment last month, following a short-lived declaration of martial law that plunged the country into political chaos.
Yoon has refused to meet with prosecutors and investigators, with his presidential guard unit thwarting an attempt to arrest him after a tense, hours-long standoff earlier this month.
The Constitutional Court has scheduled five trial dates, spanning from January 14 to February 4, DAILY POST reports. The hearings will proceed in Yoon’s absence if he does not attend.
“Concerns about safety and potential incidents have arisen. Therefore, the President will not be able to attend the trial on January 14.
“The President is willing to appear at any time once safety issues are resolved,” his lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, stated.
The court will decide whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment or restore him to office.
Separately, investigators seeking to question Yoon on insurrection charges linked to his failed martial law declaration are preparing another attempt to arrest him.
However, Yoon’s legal team has repeatedly argued that both the initial seven-day arrest warrant and the new one secured this week were unlawful.
Investigators have kept the duration of the new warrant secret, but local media reports suggest it is longer than the initial seven-day warrant.
South Korea’s impeached President, Yoon to skip first trial hearing