South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing an uncertain future as the country’s Constitutional Court holds his impeachment trial. The 67-year-old president has refused to appear in court, citing safety concerns over efforts to detain him for questioning.
Yoon’s decision not to attend the trial comes after weeks of evasion and a dramatic standoff between police and protesters who want to protect him. The president was stripped of his powers last month after parliament voted to impeach him over a decree he issued in December, which triggered widespread public outrage and protests.
The Constitutional Court now has the final say on whether Yoon will be formally removed or reinstated. A hearing planned for Thursday will proceed with or without the president’s attendance.
Yoon’s lawyers argue that the warrant for his arrest is “illegal” and that police are complicit in an “abuse of power.” However, corruption investigators appear to be pushing ahead with their second attempt to arrest the suspended president.
The court has up to 180 days to decide on Yoon’s fate. If they uphold his impeachment, he would become the shortest-serving president in South Korea’s democratic history. The country must then hold new presidential elections within 60 days.
Meanwhile, criminal investigations continue, with prosecutors examining charges of insurrection and abuse of power against Yoon. The president has refused to answer three summonses in recent weeks asking for his cooperation.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/13/asia/south-korea-yoon-impeachment-trial-intl-hnk/index.html