President Yoon Suk-yeol Absent from Arrest Review Hearing... Only Three Lawyers Attend

Considering Security Concerns and Other Factors

Yonhap News

President Yoon Suk-yeol filed a motion for a review of the legality of his arrest by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit, claiming the arrest was illegal, but decided not to attend the hearing at the Seoul Central District Court.

On the 16th, Yoon's legal representative, lawyer Seok Dong-hyun, announced through a notice, "President Yoon will not attend the hearing for the arrest legality review today." Instead, lawyers Seok Dong-hyun, Bae Jin-han, and Kim Gye-ri are scheduled to appear in court.

At the Constitutional Court, lawyer Bae met with reporters and emphasized that the president's absence does not mean a waiver of his right to defense. He explained, "Due to the president's security concerns and other practical difficulties, attendance is difficult."

This hearing concerns the legality of the arrest warrant procedure itself, not the charges, and the security issues involved in transporting a sitting president from detention to the court are also interpreted as factors influencing the decision not to attend.

President Yoon, who was arrested by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit the previous day, claimed that the arrest warrant issued by the Seoul Western District Court was invalid due to lack of jurisdiction and filed the motion for review of the arrest legality around 6 p.m. on the 15th. Judge So Jun-seop of the Criminal Division 32 at the Seoul Central District Court is scheduled to conduct the review at 5 p.m. on the 16th, with one chief prosecutor and two regular prosecutors from the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit expected to attend.