Seoul: A court hearing on whether to issue an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law ended Saturday after five hours. The hearing at the Seoul Western District Court ran from 2 p.m. until 6:50 p.m., with Yoon in attendance. He will return to the detention center where he has been held since Wednesday and await the court's decision.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon's lawyer, Yun Gap-geun, remarked that the president had "faithfully explained and responded regarding the facts, evidence, and legal issues" during the proceedings. The court is expected to decide on the arrest warrant late Saturday or early Sunday.
Seok Dong-hyeon, another of Yoon's lawyers, stated that prosecutors from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) presented their case for his arrest, followed by the defense team's PowerPoint presentations on their counterarguments. Yoon himself spoke for 40 minutes and gave a final 5-minute statement before the hearing concluded.
The impeached president has been in custody since his arrest on Wednesday at his residence on charges of masterminding an insurrection and abuse of power. He is the first sitting South Korean president to be apprehended. Yoon was transported to the court from a detention center in Uiwang, escorted by police and the Presidential Security Service, bypassing media photo areas.
Despite his detention, Yoon chose to attend the court hearing to explain the legitimacy of the martial law imposition and restore his reputation. His detention follows the declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which was lifted a few hours later after lawmakers intervened. Yoon's lawyers argue that the martial law bid was a governance act, not subject to court judgment.
Yoon's presidential powers were suspended following his impeachment by the opposition-led assembly on Dec. 14. His legal team had challenged the legality of his detention warrant but was dismissed by the Seoul Central District Court.
Yoon's legal team is expected to continue arguing that the CIO lacks the authority to investigate insurrection charges and that the western court lacks jurisdiction over the martial law case. If the warrant is issued, Yoon would be the first sitting president in South Korea's history to be formally arrested, allowing investigators to extend his detention for further investigation.
Should the warrant be rejected, Yoon would be released, potentially supporting his claims that the investigations are unfounded. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court is deliberating whether to uphold Yoon's impeachment or reinstate him.