The President Of South Korea Who Was Impeached Under The First Session Of The Military Emergency Insurgency Case

JAKARTA - The South Korean president who was impeached by Yoon Suk Yeol attended the first trial on charges of rebellion in the Seoul court.

Last month prosecutors accused Yoon of leading the uprising by imposing martial law on December 3.

A motorcade of the Ministry of Justice's cars took Yoon from the Seoul Detention Center, where Yoon was detained, to court. Outside there are lines of police buses parked to keep security.

Prosecutors called for a quick process given the severity of the case, but lawyer Yoon said they needed more time to review records.

Yoon "has no intention of crippling the country," one of his lawyers said in court.

Yoon's lawyers confirmed the military emergency declaration aimed at informing the public of the "legislative dictatorship of the massive opposition party".

If found guilty, Yoon could face years in prison for his military emergency decisions, which shocked the country and sought to ban political and parliamentary activities and control the media.

The move sparked political upheaval in the country with the fourth-largest economy in Asia and the United States' main ally.

The prime minister was also impeached and dismissed from power, while top military officials were charged with their role in the matter.

The court also listened to Yoon's attorney's request to cancel his detention, saying the matter had been investigated in an illegal manner, and there was no risk Yoon would try to destroy the evidence.

It was not clear when the court would decide on the detention, but the judge set the next trial of the criminal case on March 24.

After the criminal case, Yoon on Thursday afternoon also attended a parallel impeachment trial by the Constitutional Court which had entered its final stages.

Witnesses who testified in court included Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who has also been indicted and awaiting a court ruling on his fate.

"I am very burdened by the despair felt by everyone due to the extreme politics that occurred before, during, and after the military emergency," said Han.

"All procedures related to martial law must be carried out fairly and plausibly so that there are no more sparks of national divisions."

The Constitutional Court is reviewing Yoon's impeachment by parliament on December 14 and will decide whether to permanently dismiss him or return him.

Yoon and his lawyers argued that they had never intended to implement a fully military emergency, but only took the action as a warning to break the political deadlock.

If Yoon is removed, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.