South Korean court hearing on arrest warrant for President Yoon ends after five hours

SEOUL: South Korean court hearing on whether to issue an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law ended on Saturday after five hours.

The hearing at the Seoul Western District Court ran from 2 p.m. until 6:50 p.m., with Yoon in attendance. He then returned to the detention centre where he has been held since Wednesday to await the court's decision.

"The president faithfully explained and responded regarding the facts, evidence, and legal issues," his lawyer, Yun Gap-geun, told reporters outside the court. "We will wait quietly until the court's decision comes out."

The court is expected to issue or reject the warrant for his formal arrest late Saturday or early Sunday.

Earlier, Seok Dong-hyeon, one of Yoon's lawyers, said prosecutors from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) presented their case for his arrest, and the lawyers followed with PowerPoint presentations on their counterarguments.

Yoon, dressed in a suit, also spoke for 40 minutes. In his final statement, he spoke for another 5 minutes before the hearing ended.

The impeached president has been in custody since his arrest Wednesday at his residence on charges of masterminding an insurrection and abuse of power, making him the first sitting South Korean president to be apprehended. (IANS)

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