South Korea's president taken to court

Suspended South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol appeared at a hearing at the Seoul Central District Court on Saturday to contest a possible formal arrest warrant related to the imposition of martial law in the country.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, the former president's lawyers argue that he has been in custody since his arrest at his residence on Wednesday on charges of organising a rebellion and abuse of power. The hearing took place after the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) filed a request with the court to arrest the politician.

Yoon was brought to court from the detention centre in Iwangan, accompanied by police and security service personnel. His lawyer, Yoon Gap-kyun, noted that the former president arrived at the court with the aim of clarifying the legality of the imposition of martial law and restoring his reputation.

During the hearings, which began at 14:00 local time, Yoon plans to contest the rebellion charges and assert that an arrest is not necessary, as investigators have already gathered a significant portion of the evidence. He will also emphasise that he has no intention of fleeing and continues to remain the acting president of the country.

If the judges grant the request, Yoon will become the first acting president of South Korea to be formally arrested in the history of the country's constitutional justice system. In the event of an arrest, investigators will be able to extend his detention for up to 20 days, after which his case will be referred to prosecutors. If the request is denied, the former president will be released and return to his residence, which, according to him, will confirm the groundlessness of the investigation.