Yoon in Court Over Martial Law, Faces Arrest Request

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court on Wednesday for a hearing. The purpose of the hearing was to review a special prosecutor's request for his arrest. The charges against him relate to his brief imposition of martial law in December.

Yoon was removed from office in April after the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment. He was previously released from prison in March. The Seoul Central District Court had overturned his January arrest, allowing him to face trial for rebellion without being detained.

Upon arriving at the court in Seoul, Yoon did not answer any questions. He was accompanied by his legal team. The criminal case is being investigated by a special prosecutor, Cho Eun-suk, and their team. They are pursuing additional charges against Yoon, including abuse of power, falsifying official documents, and obstructing official duties.

The special prosecutor's team believes Yoon poses a risk of destroying evidence. They questioned him twice before requesting his arrest warrant on Sunday. Yoon's legal representatives have criticized the arrest request as excessive and lacking sufficient evidence. The court is expected to make a decision on the arrest warrant by either Wednesday evening or early Thursday.

Yoon had previously justified his martial law declaration as a necessary measure to suppress his "anti-state" liberal opponents. He accused them of obstructing his agenda. However, the martial law decree was short-lived. It was lifted after lawmakers voted to end it.

Yoon was impeached by lawmakers in December and indicted in January. Prosecutors accused him of orchestrating an attempted rebellion. They described his actions as an illegal attempt to seize control of the legislature and election offices, and to detain political opponents. The charges carry severe penalties, including the death penalty or life imprisonment.

Yoon also faces accusations of implementing martial law without following proper legal procedures. This includes not holding a formal Cabinet meeting. Additionally, he is accused of unlawfully deploying presidential security forces to prevent his initial arrest at his residence in early January.

Yoon's successor, Lee Jae Myung, approved legislation last month to launch comprehensive special investigations into Yoon's martial law actions and other criminal allegations involving his wife and administration.