South Korean president to skip 1st hearing of impeachment trial over safety concerns

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol will not attend the first hearing of his impeachment trial, scheduled for Tuesday, due to safety concerns, his defense counsel announced on Sunday.

Yoon's lawyer, Yun Gap-geun, was quoted by multiple media outlets as saying that concerns about safety and potential mishaps remained, as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and National Office of Investigation (NOI) continued efforts to execute an arrest warrant for the impeached president.

The counsel noted that safety and security issues should be adequately addressed in order for Yoon to appear in the trial.

The constitutional court planned to hold the first official hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial on January 14, with subsequent hearings slated for January 16, 21, 23 and February 4.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed by the National Assembly on December 14, 2024, and forwarded to the constitutional court to deliberate for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential powers are suspended.

The president, who is under investigation as a suspected ringleader in an insurrection charge, declared a martial law on the night of December 3, which the National Assembly revoked hours later.

Investigators attempted to arrest Yoon at the presidential residence on January 3, but failed as the presidential security service blocked the execution of the warrant.

A Seoul court issued a second warrant on Tuesday, extending the warrant's validity to apprehend the impeached president.