However, the trial will proceed despite the absence of the president.
President of South Korea Yoon Suk-yeol will not participate in the first hearing of his impeachment to be held next week. This is explained by Yoon’s lawyer Yoon Kab-keun.
Tuesday’s hearing is the first of five days of Yoon’s trial scheduled by the country’s Constitutional Court between January 14 and February 4.
The court will decide whether the impeached president must resign. If the court dismisses the charges, Yoon can return to the presidency.
According to the lawyer, Yoon will miss the first hearing, citing security concerns. However, the trial is proceeding despite the president’s absence.
A new arrest warrant for Yoon
Yoon has been holed up in his official residence and has refused to be questioned. Last week, a tense situation arose at the apartment, when the president’s supporters and bodyguards prevented the authorities from trying to arrest him.
On Tuesday, the court issued a new arrest warrant for the president.
The arrest warrant is related to Yoon’s sudden declaration of a state of emergency about a month ago, which the country’s opposition has called an attempted coup.
If authorities are successful in arresting Yoon, he would become the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested. At worst, he can be threatened with a prison sentence or even the death sentence.
Sources: Reuters, AFP