South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first formal hearing of the trial to determine if he is removed from office or reinstated because of concerns about his safety, Yonhap News reports, citing his lawyer.
The Constitutional Court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials is planning a new attempt to take Yoon into custody over a separate case relating to his failed attempt to impose martial law in early December.
An arrest effort on January 3 failed after an hourslong standoff with security personnel at Yoon’s fortified compound in central Seoul.
“The officials in the Corruption Investigation Office and the police are trying to execute illegal and invalid arrest warrants through illegal methods, raising concerns about personal safety and mishaps,” lawyer Yoon Kab-keun is quoted as saying. “In order for the president to appear for the trial, the issue of personal safety and security must be resolved.”
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.
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