South Korean President Yoon Absent from Hearing Due to Safety Concerns

seoul - The suspended South Korean president, Yoon Suk-yeol, will not attend the first hearing in his impeachment process next week, citing safety concerns as the reason for his absence.

According to his lawyer, concerns have been raised about Yoon's safety and possible incidents, leading to his decision to skip the proceedings on January 14. The president is willing to appear at any time once the security issues are resolved.

Yoon is currently holed up in his presidential residence, defended by the presidential security service, making it difficult to arrest him despite an outstanding warrant. He was suspended after declaring a state of emergency in South Korea on December 3, a move critics deemed as illegal to obstruct the opposition. Under pressure from parliament, Yoon reversed his decision and lifted the state of emergency.