South Korea’s Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol to Skip Trial Hearing Due to Safety Concerns
Seoul, South Korea – South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first hearing of the trial to determine whether he is removed or reinstated due to concerns about his safety, according to his lawyer. Yonhap News reported on Sunday that President Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, expressed concerns about personal safety and mishaps, stating that the officials in the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) and the police are trying to execute illegal and invalid arrest warrants through illegal methods.
President Yoon’s lawyer added that the issue of personal safety and security must be resolved before the president can appear at the trial. The Constitutional Court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. The anti-graft office plans a second attempt to arrest President Yoon in a criminal probe over his failed attempt to impose martial law in early December.
The arrest effort on January 3 failed after a six-hour standoff with security personnel at President Yoon’s fortified compound in central Seoul. The CIO announced that President Yoon’s attorneys submitted notice of appointment on Sunday afternoon, without elaborating.
The president’s move to impose martial law plunged South Korea into its biggest political crisis in decades and hit growth expectations for Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
