AA/ Istanbul/ Riyaz Khaliq
Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday refused to attend the first hearing of his Constitutional Court trial over his failed attempt to impose martial law last month.
The hearing in Yoon’s impeachment trial ended after four minutes in the ousted president’s absence, Yonhap news agency reported.
The next hearing in the trial has been set for Thursday and will be held even if Yoon decides to ignore it again.
Yoon, 63, was summoned to the first of five oral hearings before the Supreme Court regarding his December 3 martial law decree.
He was tried after being dismissed by parliament on December 14, but remained secluded in his official residence in Seoul and stubbornly evaded any summons from investigators.
The supreme court has up to six months to decide whether it upholds or overturns the 60-year-old’s impeachment by parliament.
While Yoon remains suspended from office, an interim president from his Cabinet manages state affairs.
Separately, a joint team of anti-corruption officials and police asked presidential security and the Defense Ministry not to obstruct their second attempt to arrest Yoon, who faces charges of rebellion and of betrayal.
About 200 members of Yoon’s security, as well as Defense Ministry agents, blocked his arrest on January 3.
However, a court renewed the arrest warrant and investigators vowed to arrest Yoon.
Translated from English by Sanaa Amir
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