Seoul: People Power Party (PPP) Rep. Choo Kyung-ho appeared at a Seoul court to attend a hearing on his potential arrest over his alleged role in former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed imposition of martial law.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the three-term lawmaker arrived at the Seoul Central District Court after special counsel Cho Eun-suk filed a warrant for Choo's arrest on charges of playing a key role in an insurrection. "I hope for a fair judgment from the court without political bias," Choo stated to reporters prior to the hearing.

The court could make a decision as early as later in the day on whether to issue the warrant. The charge pertains to allegations that Choo, who was the floor leader of the PPP at the time, obstructed his party's lawmakers from participating in a parliamentary vote to lift the martial law decree imposed on December 3.

Choo, once a key ally of Yoon, is accused of deliberately changing the venue of an emergency party meeting on the night of December 3 at the request of the then president. Owing to these changes, only 18 of the PPP's 108 lawmakers participated in the parliamentary vote to lift Yoon's decree, which passed unanimously early the next morning among the 190 lawmakers present.

The National Assembly approved a motion for Choo's arrest on Thursday. By law, sitting lawmakers are immune from arrest while parliament is in session and can only be detained with the Assembly's consent. Choo has denied the allegations, arguing that he relocated the party meeting from the National Assembly to the party's headquarters as police had restricted access to the parliament compound.