South Korea’s impeached president arrived at a Seoul court for a hearing on Saturday to oppose a formal arrest over last month’s imposition of martial law.
Yoon, who has been in detention since he was apprehended on Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residence, faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on December 3, which set off the country’s most serious political crisis since its democratization in the late 1980s, reports AP.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and the military, requested the Seoul Western District Court to grant a warrant for Yoon’s formal arrest.
Yoon is expected to argue that there’s no need for him to be in custody during an investigation at a hearing set for 2 pm this afternoon. The judge is anticipated to make a decision by late Saturday or early Sunday.
Yoon was transported from a detention center in Uiwang, near Seoul, in a blue Justice Ministry van escorted by police and the presidential security service.
The motorcade entered the court’s basement parking space as hundreds of Yoon’s supporters rallied in nearby streets amid a heavy police presence, waving banners and shouting slogans calling for his release.
Bd-pratidin English/Fariha Nowshin Chinika
