Impeached South Korean President Yoon to Skip First Hearing on January 14 Over Safety Concerns

Jan 12, 2025, 02:36 AM

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first formal hearing of his impeachment trial scheduled for January 14, 2025, due to safety concerns, his lawyer Yun Gap-geun announced on January 12. The decision comes amid ongoing efforts by investigators to detain the impeached president in connection with a separate case involving his short-lived imposition of martial law. The Constitutional Court is set to commence oral arguments on the impeachment trial, with a series of hearings planned through February 4, 2025. Yoon's absence from the trial is contingent on the resolution of his personal safety and security issues, as stated by his lawyer Yoon Kab-keun.