Seoul: Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s impeached president, is set to attend a court hearing on Saturday to challenge a request by investigators to extend his detention on charges of insurrection, his lawyer confirmed.
On Wednesday, Yoon became the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested in connection with a criminal probe stemming from his controversial declaration of martial law on December 3.
Investigators filed for a detention warrant on Friday, seeking to extend Yoon’s custody for up to 20 additional days. Since his arrest, Yoon has refused to cooperate with the investigation and remains held at Seoul Detention Centre.
Tensions flared outside the Seoul Western District Court, where the hearing is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT). Police were seen dispersing a group of Yoon’s supporters who had blocked the court’s entrance. A decision on the detention extension is expected either Saturday or Sunday.
“He decided to attend… to restore his honour by directly explaining the legitimacy of emergency martial law and that insurrection is not established,” Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, said in a statement.
Also Read | TikTok Ban: What Happens Next?
The charge of insurrection, leveled against Yoon by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, is one of the few crimes for which a sitting South Korean president does not enjoy immunity.
Also Read | Trump’s Second Term: A New Era for Cryptocurrency
Detention warrant hearings in South Korea typically last around two hours, but can extend to eight or ten hours if arguments intensify.
