Citing health worries, South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol will likely avoid further questioning after his dramatic arrest over a failed attempt to declare martial law in early December.

He had been scheduled to resume questioning on the morning of January 16 but there have been mixed reports as to whether or not this would go ahead coming from sources in the South Korean capital. The president’s lawyers have stated he would not participate in the session.

The Constitutional Court had previously held its second hearing in a trial to determine whether Yoon’s impeachment will be upheld, following his early morning detention, in the process marking him as the first sitting president in the country’s history to be arrested.

The president, himself a former high-profile prosecutor in South Korea faces charges of insurrection. During hours of questioning following his detention he chose to remain silent and was subsequently transferred to a detention centre for the night.

Yoon’s arrest involved a large police and investigator force bypassing barricades, cutting through barbed wire and scaling ladders to enter the compound where he was protected by hundreds of guards. The former leader later claimed he cooperated to avoid bloodshed, though he was also contesting the legality of the investigation.

Efforts are already understood to be underway to secure a new warrant that could extend his detention beyond 48 hours. Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers from the Democratic Party welcomed his arrest, with the parliamentary speaker urging stability after weeks of social unrest.

In response, Yoon’s legal team has requested a review of the arrest warrant.

The 64-year-old leader has evaded arrest for weeks by remaining in his residential compound, shielded by loyal members of the Presidential Security Service.

During this time the Constitutional Court has been deliberating on the impeachment case. If upheld, Yoon will lose the presidency, and a fresh election will be required within 60 days.

Though his legal team has requested a postponement of the hearings, the trial can proceed in his absence and is expected to continue for months once underway