South Korean court orders formal arrest of impeached President Yoon

South Koreas impeached president on Saturday argued for his release before a Seoul judge as the court reviewed whether to grant a law enforcement request for his formal arrest His appearance at the Seoul Western District Court triggered chaotic scenes in nearby streets where thousands of his fervent supporters rallied for hours calling for his release They clashed with police who detained around 40 protesters including about 20 who climbed over a fence in an attempt to approach the courtAt least two vehicles carrying anticorruption investigators were damaged as they left the court after arguing for Yoons arrest Yoon has been in detention since he was apprehended on Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residence He faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on December 3 which set off the countrys most serious political crisis since its democratisation in the late 1980sThe Corruption Investigation Office for HighRanking Officials which is leading a joint investigation with police and the military requested the Seoul Western District Court to grant a warrant for Yoons formal arrest Yoons lawyers said he spoke for about 40 minutes to the judge during the nearly fivehour closeddoor hearing His legal team and anticorruption agencies presented opposing arguments about whether he should be held in custody The lawyers did not share his specific commentsThe judge is expected to make a decision by late Saturday or early Sunday Yoons motorcade was seen leaving the court Saturday evening for the detention centre where Yoon will await the decision If Yoon is arrested investigators can extend his detention to 20 days during which they will transfer the case to public prosecutors for indictment If the court rejects the investigators request Yoon will be released and return to his residenceChaotic scenes outside the courtYoon was transported to the court from a detention centre in Uiwang near Seoul in a blue Justice Ministry van escorted by police and the presidential security service The motorcade entered the courts basement parking space as thousands of Yoons supporters gathered in nearby streets despite a heavy police presence Some protesters broke through the police lines and tapped on the windows of his van approaching the court Yoon did not speak to reportersAfter its investigators were attacked by protesters the anticorruption agency asked media companies to obscure the faces of its members attending the hearing It hadnt been clear until Saturday morning whether Yoon would choose to attend the hearingYoon insists his martial law decree was legitimateDefence lawyers met Yoon at the detention centre and he accepted his legal teams advice to appear personally before the judge said Yoon Kabkeun one of the presidents lawyers The lawyer said the president was to argue that his decree was a legitimate exercise of his powers and that accusations of rebellion would not hold up before a criminal court or the Constitutional Court which is reviewing whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate himNine people including Yoons defence minister police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested and indicted for their roles in the enforcement of martial law The crisis began when Yoon in an attempt to break through legislative gridlock imposed military rule and sent troops to the National Assembly and election officesThe standoff lasted only hours after lawmakers who managed to get through a blockade voted to lift the measure The oppositiondominated assembly voted to impeach him on December 14 If Yoon is formally arrested it could mark the beginning of an extended period in custody for him lasting months or more If prosecutors indict Yoon on rebellion and abuse of power charges which are the allegations now being examined by investigators they could keep him in custody for up to six months before trialUnder South Korean law orchestrating a rebellion is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty Yoons lawyers have argued that there is no need to detain him during the investigation saying he doesnt pose a threat to flee or destroy evidence Investigators respond that Yoon ignored several requests to appear for questioning and that the presidential security service blocked an attempt to detain him on January 3 His defiance has raised concerns about whether he would comply with criminal court proceedings if hes not under arrestThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever