South Korea: Lawyer says ex-president to be absent from first formal hearing in impeachment trial

President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first formal hearing in his impeachment trial this week out of concerns for his safety, his lawyer said Sunday, Yonhap reports.

Yun Gap-geun, Yoon's defense attorney, made the announcement as the Constitutional Court will hold the first oral arguments on Yoon's impeachment trial on Tuesday, while investigators are seeking to detain the impeached president for questioning in a separate case related to his short-lived martial law imposition.

"As attempts to unlawfully execute an illegal and invalid arrest warrant are under way, there are concerns of personal safety and mishap," Yun said. "In order for the president to appear for the trial, the issue of personal safety and security must be resolved."

Yun said the impeached president will attend his trial if such issues are resolved.

The Constitutional Court earlier said it would start oral arguments for the trial on Tuesday, with a total of five hearing sessions scheduled until Feb. 4.

Yoon's lawyers have previously said the president will attend his impeachment trial at an "appropriate" time to make his case.

Should Yoon fail to show up for the hearing on Tuesday, the court will be required to end the session and convene again Thursday for a second session, which then can proceed even in Yoon's absence.

Investigators earlier sought to detain Yoon but failed after an hourslong standoff with the Presidential Security Service. They are widely expected to stage a second attempt to detain him after a Seoul court granted an extension of the warrant last week.

Earlier it was reported that the South Korean court dismissed Yoon's objection to execution of detention warrant.