Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court on Tuesday as hearings continued to determine whether he will be officially removed from office following his controversial declaration of martial law.
Yoon, who was arrested in mid-January on insurrection charges, remains in detention but has been attending impeachment hearings at the Constitutional Court, which will decide his fate. If the court upholds the impeachment, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.
His declaration of martial law on December 3 sparked political turmoil, suspending civilian rule and deploying soldiers to parliament. The opposition-led parliament overturned the decree and later impeached him, leading to his arrest—the first for a sitting South Korean head of state.
Yoon denies ordering military commanders to remove lawmakers from parliament to block their vote, a claim contradicted by opposition MPs and a former National Intelligence Service official who testified that he was ordered to arrest politicians.
The 64-year-old former prosecutor faces a separate criminal trial on insurrection charges, which are not covered by presidential immunity. If convicted, he could face a lengthy prison sentence or the death penalty.
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