After the first hearing ended in just a few minutes earlier this week, Thursday's hearing proceeded with Yoon's absence once again.
A court spokesperson told reporters, "After thorough discussion, the panel of justices unanimously decided to reject Yoon's request to reschedule the hearing date, as the reasons cited were not deemed valid grounds for postponement."
Yoon's legal representatives requested to postpone the hearing, citing the president's inability to attend after his arrest the previous day by investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) for questioning over his botched martial law debacle last month.
His lawyers argued that holding the hearing while he remains detained infringes upon his rights as a defendant in the trial.
Yoon skipped the first hearing last Tuesday, citing safety concerns as the CIO was preparing to attempt his arrest at his official residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul.
Yoon's legal team also filed an injunction with the Seoul Central District Court regarding the legality of his arrest, arguing that the Seoul Western District Court, which issued the arrest warrants, lacks jurisdiction over the charges of insurrection and abuse of power he faces.
The review of the injunction is underway at the Seoul Central District Court, with a decision expected to be made later in the day.
Yoon's impeachment trial stems from his abrupt declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which sparked widespread public outrage and mass protests. The National Assembly passed a motion to impeach the president, suspending him from office on Dec. 14.
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