Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol personally attended the interrogation to protest the arrest warrant.

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol decided to attend the trial to explain the legality of imposing martial law and restore his reputation.

Mr. Yoon arrived at the Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO) on January 15.

Yonhap news agency reported that impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court in Seoul (South Korea) on January 18 to protest the possibility of being formally sentenced to detention in connection with his decision to issue martial law last month.

The hearing at the Seoul Western District Court began at 2 p.m. local time and was adjourned for a break at 5:30 p.m. before continuing. Mr. Yoon, dressed in a suit, spoke for 40 minutes.

Prosecutors from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) presented the case for Yoon's arrest, while the lawyers presented their counterarguments in PowerPoint, said Seok Dong-hyeon, one of Yoon's lawyers.

What's Happening Inside the Detention Center of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol?

The impeached president was arrested on January 15 on charges of inciting rebellion and abuse of power, making him the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.

Mr Yoon was taken to court from a detention centre in Uiwang, about 20 kilometres south of Seoul, in a blue van escorted by police and the Presidential Security Service.

The motorcade avoided the media-only photo area and drove straight into the court building, while thousands of his supporters gathered nearby.

Police (in bright colors) and protesters supporting Mr. Yoon outside the court on January 18.

Yoon's lawyer Yun Gap-geun said he decided to attend the trial to explain the legality of imposing martial law and restore his reputation.

His lawyers said the martial law order was an administrative act and could not be subject to court judgment, as it was implemented to overcome a national crisis caused by the opposition's impeachment of cabinet members, legislative deadlock and unilateral budget cuts.

A judge at the Seoul Western District Court is expected to issue a ruling soon. If the court grants the warrant, Mr. Yoon will become the first sitting president in South Korea's history to be formally arrested.

The formal arrest will allow investigators to extend his detention to 20 days, during which time they will hand the case over to prosecutors for prosecution.

If rejected, the president would be released and returned to his residence, bolstering his claim that ongoing investigations into his martial law decree and impeachment are baseless.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/ong-yoon-suk-yeol-dich-than-du-tham-van-de-phan-doi-lenh-bat-185250118170724739.htm