Impeached South Korean President Yun Seok-Yeol has appealed to a Seoul court, which is considering whether to approve a formal request for arrest, to be released from detention.
Yun has been in custody since his arrest on Wednesday in a major raid at his home. He is accused of orchestrating a rebellion after declaring martial law in December, triggering South Korea's most serious political crisis since it became democratic in the late 1980s.
A formal arrest warrant for Yoon was requested by the Office of High-Level Corruption Investigation, which is leading a joint investigation between the police and military.
According to Yun's lawyers, he spoke with the judge for about 40 minutes during the approximately five-hour closed hearing. His legal team and anti-corruption authorities argued against whether he should be detained. Lawyers declined to discuss his specific comments.
The judge is expected to issue a ruling this weekend. Mr. Yoon's motorcade was seen leaving the courthouse on Saturday evening and heading to the detention center where he is being held.
If Yoon is arrested, investigative authorities can extend his detention for 20 days, during which time the case will be transferred to the prosecutor's office for prosecution. If the court rejects the investigative authorities' request, Yoon will be released and return to his home.
It was not clear whether Yoon would attend Saturday's hearing, but he appears to have accepted advice from his defense team to appear in person before a judge.
Team members said the president plans to argue that the executive order was a legitimate exercise of authority and that the treason charges will not hold up in criminal or constitutional courts. The Constitutional Court is considering whether to formally remove him from office. Please bring him back.
Nine people have already been arrested and charged for their roles in enforcing martial law, including Yun's defense minister, police chief, and several senior military officials.
Under South Korean law, orchestrating a rebellion is punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty.
Yun's lawyer argued that there was no need for him to be detained during the investigation, saying there was no risk that he would flee or destroy evidence.
Investigators responded that Yoon ignored several requests to appear in court for questioning, and that the Presidential Security Bureau thwarted an attempt to detain him on January 3. His defiant stance has raised concerns about whether he will comply with criminal justice if he is not arrested.
