South Korean president to miss impeachment trial - Media reveals the reason
Photo: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (Getty Images)
President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first official hearing in the impeachment case this week due to concerns about his security, reports Yonhap.
Defense attorney Yun Gap-geun made this statement as the Constitutional Court is set to hold the first oral arguments in the impeachment case against President Yoon on Tuesday, January 14.
Meanwhile, investigators are attempting to detain the impeached president for questioning in a separate case related to his brief declaration of martial law.
"Due to ongoing attempts to enforce an illegal and invalid arrest warrant, there are concerns about personal security and possible accidents," said the attorney.
According to him, resolving the issue of personal security is necessary for President Yoon Suk Yeol to appear in court.
Trial of Yoon Suk Yeol
Earlier, the Constitutional Court of South Korea announced it would begin oral arguments in the impeachment case on Tuesday, January 14, with a total of five hearings scheduled by February 4.
President Yoon's lawyers had previously stated that the president would attend the impeachment trial at an "appropriate" time to present his case.
According to the media, if Yoon Suk Yeol does not appear for the hearing on January 14, the court will have to adjourn the session and reconvene on Thursday, January 16, for a second hearing, which could continue even in his absence.
Political situation in South Korea
On December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in the country. It lasted for about six hours, after which the president apologized for the decision.
On December 14, South Korea declared President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. This followed a political crisis triggered by the martial law declaration on December 3. His impeachment was announced after a second attempt, as on December 7, the South Korean parliament failed to pass a vote on the impeachment.
Recently, investigators attempted to detain Yoon Suk Yeol, but were unsuccessful after a lengthy standoff with the President’s Security Service. They are expected to make a second attempt after the Seoul court extended the arrest warrant for the president last week.
