South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s fate remains in the balance after the suspended leader failed to appear at the first day of his impeachment trial Tuesday following weeks of evading arrest, delaying what is set to be a dramatic political showdown.

The first hearing for South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial ended in just four minutes - as Yoon was not in attendance. After the hearing, Yoon's lawyers told media outside the court that they will decide on whether Yoon would attend the next hearing or not after reviewing the circumstances of the evidence request and the methods of evidence verification.

Yoon's short-lived martial law declaration on 3 Dec has thrown South Korea into political turmoil. He had tried to justify the attempt by saying he was protecting the country from