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.

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.

Yoon is South Korea's first sitting president to face arrest. The second attempt to take him into custody could happen as early as this week, according to local media. The suspended leader has not commented publicly since parliament voted to impeach him on 14 December and has been speaking primarily through his lawyers.