Yoon Suk Yeol would not attend the first impeachment hearing against him over safety concerns, said the South Korean President’s lawyer.
“Concerns about safety and potential incidents have arisen. Therefore, the President will not be able to attend the trial on January 14,” lawyer Yoon Kab-keun told news agency AFP.
“The President is willing to appear at any time once safety issues are resolved,” he further said.
Last week, Yoon resisted arrest in a tense stand-off between his guards and investigators after his short-lived power grab plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.
Investigators secured a new arrest warrant for Yoon this week after an initial seven-day order expired on Monday, with several hundred of his supporters braving sub-zero temperatures to rush to the presidential residence.
Meanwhile, Yoon’s legal team filed an injunction to block the warrant and submitted an objection to the court that issued it.
The martial mishap
Yeol declared martial law on December 3, then quickly reversed it after widespread opposition.
The South Korean President cited “anti-state activities” and threats from North Korea as justification for the move, which would have given the military control over civilian functions.
In a televised address, Yoon explained that martial law was necessary to protect the country from “anti-state forces” and the growing threat posed by North Korea. The president accused opposition parties of paralyzing the government and undermining the country’s democracy, although he provided little concrete evidence for these claims.
