Impeachment trial of South Korea's Yoon adjourned after he does not attend
South Korea’s Constitutional Court adjourned the opening session of the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday after he did not attend.
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea’s Constitutional Court adjourned the opening session of the impeachment trial of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol within minutes on Tuesday, after the embattled leader did not attend court.
A lawyer advising Yoon had said the president, who has been holed up in his hillside villa in Seoul for weeks, would not attend, saying a bid by authorities to detain him prevented Yoon from expressing his position at the trial.
The next trial session is scheduled for Thursday and if Yoon also does not attend, the trial proceedings will go ahead with his legal team representing him, acting chief justice Moon Hyung-bae said.
Outside the court, one of Yoon’s lawyers, Yoon Kab-keun, said the president would decide whether to go to court in person on Thursday after discussions on his defense strategy.
The Constitutional Court must decide within 180 days whether to remove Yoon from office or restore his presidential powers.
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