South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol will not attend the first hearing of the trial to determine whether to remove or reinstate him from office due to concerns about his safety, his lawyer says.
"The officials in the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) and the police are trying to execute illegal and invalid arrest warrants through illegal methods, raising concerns about personal safety and mishaps," Yonhap News quoted his lawyer Yoon Kab-keun as saying.
"In order for the president to appear for the trial, the issue of personal safety and security must be resolved."
Protesters have been demanding impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's arrest. (AP PHOTO)
The Constitutional Court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.
The anti-graft office plans a second attempt to arrest Yoon in a criminal probe over his failed attempt to impose martial law in early December.Â
An arrest effort on January 3 failed after a six-hour stand-off with security personnel at Yoon's fortified compound in central Seoul.
Yoon's lawyer did not respond to Reuters calls seeking comment.
The investigation office said in a text message that Yoon's lawyers submitted a notice of appointment on Sunday afternoon, without elaborating.
The president's move to impose martial law plunged South Korea into its biggest political crisis in decades and hit growth expectations for Asia's fourth largest economy.