Trial of South Korea's impeached President Yoon set to begin

14/1/2025 12:33

The trial of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was set to start on Tuesday with oral arguments over his short-lived bid to impose martial law which 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 for weeks, is not expected to attend.



The next trial session is 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Yoon's declaration of martial law on Dec. 3 that was withdrawn after about six hours has plunged one of Asia's most vibrant democracies into a period of unprecedented political turbulence.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.