Lawyer says South Korean President Yoon will accept ruling from Constitutional Court

"If the court decides to remove him from office, he will have no choice but to accept it," said Yoon Kab-keun, the president's lawyer. The ruling from the Constitutional Court, one of South Korea's two highest courts, is final and cannot be appealed.

President Yoon had previously ignored a request from the Constitutional Court to submit legal documents before the court began hearings on December 27, but his lawyers said he was willing to appear in person to argue his case.

Mr Yoon is currently at his official residence in Seoul and appears to be in good health, his lawyer said. He remains suspended from office and faces charges of inciting a rebellion that led to the first arrest warrant for a sitting president.

Last week, the presidential guard blocked an attempt to arrest Mr Yoon, although investigators are still trying to execute the warrant. Some reports have revealed plans to use armored vehicles and helicopters to deploy special police forces into the presidential palace.

Lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon, another representative of Mr. Yoon, said these actions were politically motivated to humiliate the President.

Lawyer Seok stressed that Mr. Yoon sees this as an ideological battle between defenders of liberal democracy and opposing forces. He warned that the situation could lead to civil war if not handled properly.

His lawyers argued that the arrest warrant was illegal because only prosecutors have the power to indict or request a valid arrest warrant for a sitting president.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters, Yonhap)