South Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first trial hearing to determine whether to be removed from office or reinstated due to concerns about his safety, Yonhap News reported on Sunday, citing his lawyer.
“Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) officials and the police are trying to execute illegal and invalid arrest warrants through illegal methods, raising concerns about personal safety and mishaps,” said lawyer Yoon Kab- keun.
“For the president to appear at trial, the issue of personal safety must be resolved.”
The Constitutional Court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
The anti-graft bureau plans a second attempt to arrest Yoon in a criminal investigation over his failed attempt to impose martial law in early December. An arrest effort on Jan. 3 failed after a six-hour standoff with security personnel at the Yoon fortified compound in central Seoul.
Yoon’s lawyer did not respond to calls from Reuters seeking comment.
The CIO said in a text message that Yoon’s lawyers filed a notice of attorney appointment on Sunday afternoon, without providing further details.
The president’s decision to impose martial law plunged South Korea into its biggest political crisis in decades and hurt growth expectations for Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
