South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol denies arresting lawmakers during impeachment trial

Suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made his first appearance at his impeachment trial, where he denied ordering the arrest of lawyers while trying to impose martial law.

Parliament voted to impeach Yoon last month, and last week the constitutional court started the proceedings to decide to permanently remove him from office.

Yoon is also facing a separate criminal investigation into whether he led an insurgent group. He has been in custody since last week.

Security was tight on Tuesday as Yoon was taken by van from the place of his arrest to the constitutional court.

Police built human walls and closed riot barriers to prevent hundreds of his supporters who had gathered nearby from getting too close. Last weekend there was violence as a lot of Yoon’s fans clashed with the law enforcement again he broke into another court house.

On Tuesday, Yoon was asked if he had ordered the military to “take out” lawmakers from parliament the night he declared martial law, to prevent them from overturning his order.

He replied: “No.”

Military officials had previously alleged that Yoon issued the order on December 3, after lawmakers climbed fences and broke barriers to enter Parliament and overturn Yoon’s declaration of martial law.

“I am a person who has always believed strongly in the freedom of democracy,” Yoon said in his opening speech on Tuesday.

“Since the constitutional court is there to protect the constitution, I ask you to look carefully at all the parts of this case,” he told the judges.

During the hearing, which lasted about two hours, Yoon and his lawyers argued that the military order was “a law that was not intended to kill”.

Yoon had cited threats from “anti-national forces” and North Korea when he declared martial law, but it soon became clear that his move was motivated not by external threats but by his own domestic political problems.

The lawyers prosecuting the case, who were appointed by parliament, accused Yoon and his lawyers of making “extremely contradictory, unreasonable and vague” comments.

“If they continue to avoid responsibility as they have done today, it will work against them in the trial and cause great public disappointment,” prosecutors told reporters after the trial.

Outside the court, his supporters rose up in frenzy and rage as they demanded Yoon’s release and immediate reinstatement.

They were forced to stay away from the court due to tight security. Holding up their trademark combination of Korean and US flags, some wore Maga-style baseball caps emblazoned with the slogan “Make Korea Free Again”, an echo of a campaign slogan used by US President Donald Trump.

Some of their songs included calls for South Korea’s opposition leader, Lee Jae Myung, and the investigator leading Yoon’s criminal case to be executed.

Most supporters told the BBC they believed Yoon’s declaration of martial law was an attempt to protect the country’s democracy.

They accuse the opposition party of supporting China and North Korea, and of wanting to turn South Korea into a communist state.

“This is a conflict between people pursuing communism and people pursuing democracy,” said Wongeun Seong, a 49-year-old businessman who joined the protest on his way back from a lunch meeting.

Former defense minister Kim Yong-hyunwho reportedly suggested martial law against Yoon, will testify during the next hearing on Thursday.

Yoon will be removed from office if at least six of the eight members of the constitutional court’s bench vote to support the trial. Presidential elections must be called within 60 days.

South Korea has been in political turmoil since December 3rd. Thousands of protesters and supporters of Yoon took to the streets several times despite the winter cold.

The crisis has hit the country’s economy, with weakening earnings and credit rating agencies around the world warning of declining consumer and business sentiment.

Additional reporting by Hosu Lee in Seoul