Impeached South Korean President Yoon to attend arrest warrant hearing

Legal representatives of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol said Saturday that Yoon has decided to attend a court hearing for an arrest warrant against him to explain the legitimacy of his short-lived martial law decree, Yonhap reports.

Yun Gap-keun, one of Yoon's legal representatives, made the notification in a text message sent to reporters.

The lawyer said Yoon made the decision to explain the legitimacy of the martial law declaration and restore his tarnished reputation as well after the botched martial law declaration on Dec. 3.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) sought a warrant to formally arrest Yoon with the Seoul Western District Court on Friday, two days after CIO investigators apprehended him at his residence and took him into custody following questioning.

The court plans to hold a hearing at 2 p.m. to review the warrant request.

The CIO is currently leading a joint investigation with the police and the military over whether Yoon's martial law declaration amounted to an attempted insurrection.

But Yoon's lawyers have said the anti-corruption agency does not have the authority to investigate insurrection allegations.

In the hearing, Yoon is expected to deny the insurrection charges against him.