‘For security reasons’
South Korea’s deposed president, Yoon Suk-Yeol, will not attend the first hearing of his impeachment trial next week for security reasons, his lawyer said today.
Yoon has refused to be questioned over his failed attempt to impose martial law in the country and last week resisted arrest in a tense standoff between his guards and investigators after his fleeting takeover plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.
“Security concerns and potential accidents have arisen. Therefore, the president will not be able to attend the trial on January 14,” lawyer Yoon Kab-keun said. “The president is willing to appear at any time once the security issues are resolved,” he added.
The Constitutional Court has set five dates for the trial, from 14 January to 4 February, which can take place even in his absence. Meanwhile, investigators are preparing a new arrest attempt after obtaining a second warrant this week. Yoon is under investigation on charges of “insurrection” and, if he is formally arrested and convicted, he risks prison or even the death penalty.
