South Korea's impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court to contest his detention extension on insurrection charges tied to his martial law declaration.
South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court on Saturday to contest a request from investigators seeking to extend his detention on charges of insurrection, according to his legal team.
Yoon, who was arrested on Wednesday, became the first sitting South Korean president to face detention as part of a criminal investigation. The case revolves around his brief declaration of martial law on December 3.
On Friday, investigators filed for a detention warrant to keep Yoon in custody for up to 20 additional days. Yoon has remained silent during questioning and is being held at the Seoul Detention Center since his arrest.
Supporters of Yoon gathered outside the Seoul Western District Court, where the hearing commenced around 2 p.m. local time (05:00 GMT). Police were seen dispersing the crowd blocking the court's entrance. A decision regarding the detention warrant is expected over the weekend.
In a statement, Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, explained that the former president chose to attend the hearing to defend his reputation by personally addressing the legitimacy of the emergency martial law and disputing the insurrection charges.
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