South Korea: Yoon attends court hearing on extending detention

Impeached President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, on Saturday attended a court hearing to oppose a request by investigators to extend his detention on accusations of insurrection.

DAILY POST reports that Yoon, on Wednesday, became the country’s first sitting president to be arrested in connection with a criminal probe related to his short-lived declaration of martial law on December 3.

Recall that investigators on Friday requested a detention warrant to extend their custody of Yoon for up to 20 days.

The embattled president has been refusing to cooperate with investigators and has been held at the Seoul Detention Centre since his arrest.

Meanwhile, the police dispersed a crowd of Yoon’s supporters blocking the gate of Seoul Western District Court, where the hearing began at around 2 p.m. (0500 GMT).

A decision is expected on Saturday or Sunday.

“He decided to attend to restore his honour by directly explaining the legitimacy of emergency martial law and asserting that insurrection is not established,” Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, said in a statement.

DAILY POST further reports that insurrection, the crime alleged against Yoon by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, is one of the few charges for which an incumbent South Korean president does not have immunity.

South Korea: Yoon attends court hearing on extending detention