South Korea’s Yoon Will Not Attend First Impeachment Hearing

NEWSMAX | Published January 12, 2025

South Korea’s suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first hearing of his impeachment trial next week because of safety concerns, his lawyer said on Sunday.

Yoon has been holed up in the presidential residence and protected by an elite guard force since being suspended and impeached last month, following a short-lived declaration of martial law that plunged the country into political chaos.

He has refused to meet prosecutors and investigators and his presidential guard unit thwarted an attempt to arrest him following a tense, hours-long standoff earlier this month.

The Constitutional Court has scheduled five trial dates spanning January 14 to February 4, which will proceed in his absence if he does not attend.

“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 said in a statement sent to AFP.

“The President is willing to appear at any time once safety issues are resolved.”

The court will decide whether to uphold his impeachment or restore him to office.

Separately, investigators seeking to question Yoon on insurrection charges linked to his ill-fated martial law declaration are preparing another arrest attempt.

His lawyers have repeatedly said an initial seven-day warrant and the new one they secured this week were both “unlawful”.

Investigators have kept secret the length of the new warrant, with local media reports saying it is longer than the previous seven days.

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SOURCE: www.newsmax.com

RELATED: Thousands of South Koreans protest as president Yoon Suk Yeol digs heels in

Suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol is resisting arrest over his short-lived martial law decree.


Protesters attend a rally against the impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol near his residence in Seoul on Jan 10, 2025. (Photo: AFP/Yasuyoshi Chiba) 11 Jan 2025 02:02PM (Updated: 11 Jan 2025 05:22PM)
CHANNEL NEWS ASIA | Published January 12, 2025

SEOUL: Thousands of South Koreans began gathering in the capital for rival demonstrations on Saturday (Jan 11), as investigators prepare another attempt to arrest suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law decree.

Yoon resisted arrest in a standoff between his guards and investigators last week after his failed Dec 3 power grab plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.

Protesters both for and against Yoon were scheduled to gather in sub-zero conditions along major roads in the centre of Seoul on Saturday – either demanding his arrest or calling for his impeachment to be declared invalid.

The pro-Yoon side waved South Korean flags while rainbow headbands were seen on the side advocating his removal.

The country has bristled with tension for weeks after Yoon directed soldiers to storm parliament, where they unsuccessfully tried to prevent lawmakers from voting down martial law. Since being impeached, Yoon has battened down the hatches.

“Despite our efforts, he continues to evade accountability, and both the police and the CIO (Corruption Investigation Office) have really failed to act decisively,” said anti-Yoon protester and student Kim Min-ji, 25.

“It is crucial for us to raise our voices until he is removed from office.”

Yoon supporter Su Yo-hahn, 71, said the sitting president’s martial law declaration which he alleged was to root out anti-state forces had “valid reasons”.

“He is someone who was elected by the people and represents our country. Saving Yoon is the way to save our nation,” said Su.

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SOURCE: www.channelnewsasia.com

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