SEOUL (Reuters) – Arguments are due to begin in a South Korean court on Tuesday in a trial to decide the fate of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached after his short-lived bid to impose martial law threw the country into the worst political chaos in decades.
However, the Constitutional Court session is likely to be cut short as Yoon, who has been holed up in his hillside villa in Seoul, is not expected to attend, with more substantive arguments likely in the next session scheduled for Thursday.
The Constitutional Court must decide within 180 days whether to remove Yoon from office or restore his presidential powers.
Yoon also faces a criminal investigation for alleged insurrection, with authorities seeking to execute an arrest warrant after he ignored summons to appear for questioning.
Yoon’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 that was withdrawn after about six hours has plunged one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies into a period of unprecedented political turbulence.
Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer advising Yoon, said on Monday that the suspended president would not attend the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, saying attempts by authorities to detain him prevented Yoon from expressing his position at the trial.
Meanwhile, Yoon’s chief of staff said on Tuesday that Yoon’s office was ready to consult with investigating authorities in order to avoid a clash during the execution of the arrest warrant against Yoon.
Yoon could go to a third location outside of his fortified residence, or a visit to his home could be arranged so that investigating authorities could question Yoon, presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk said in a statement on Tuesday.
Investigating authorities, including the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) and the police, received a re-issued arrest warrant from a South Korean court after their first attempt to detain Yoon to question him for 48 hours failed after a stand-off with presidential security officers earlier this month.
(Reporting by Joyce Lee; Editing by Ed Davies)
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