South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol denies ordering arrest of lawmakers at impeachment trial

Suspended South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol has made his first appearance at his impeachment trial, where he denied being arrested while trying to impose martial law.

The legislature voted to impeach Yoon last month, and again last week the court began to hear the case decide whether to remove him from office forever.

Yoon is also facing a separate investigation into allegedly leading a terrorist organization. He has been arrested since last week.

Security was tight on Tuesday as Yoon was transported by car from the detention center, where he was being held, to the court.

Police built barricades and closed riot barriers to prevent hundreds of people who had gathered nearby from getting too close. Last week saw violence as many of Yoon’s supporters clashed with law enforcement officials as well broke into a court house.

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

He replied: “No.

Military officials previously said Yoon issued the order on December 3, after lawmakers scaled fences and broke barriers to enter the parliament building and vote on Yoon’s announcement.

“I am a person who has always believed strongly in liberal democracy,” Yoon said in his opening remarks on Tuesday.

“Since the court is there to protect the constitution of this country, I ask you to carefully examine the whole matter,” he told the judges.

During the hearing, which lasted about two hours, Yoon and his lawyers argued that martial law was “a tradition that should not have been killed”.

Yoon cited threats from “anti-government” and North Korean forces when he announced military security, but it soon became clear that his move was not caused by external threats but by his own political problems.

The lawyers prosecuting the case, who were appointed by parliament, criticized Yoon and his lawyers for making “contradictory, irrational and unreasonable” comments.

“If they continue to evade responsibility as they did today, it will only expose them to criminal charges and hurt many people,” prosecutors told reporters after the hearing.

Outside the court, the supporters were furious and furious as they demanded Yoon’s release and immediate reinstatement.

The people were forced to stay away from the stadium due to tight security. While holding up their sign of combining the Korean and US flags, some wore Maga-style baseball caps emblazoned with the words “Make Korea Free Again”, a slogan similar to the campaign slogan used by US President Donald Trump.

Among their songs are calls for the leader of South Korea’s opposition party, Lee Jae Myung, to be the investigator leading Yoon’s murder case.

Many of those followers told the BBC they believed Yoon’s martial law was an attempt to protect the country’s democracy.

They accused the opposition party of being pro-China and North Korea, and of wanting to turn South Korea into a communist country.

“This is a conflict between communists and democrats,” 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 allegedly issued the martial law to Yoon, will testify at the next hearing on Thursday.

Yoon will be removed from office if at least six out of eight of the justices vote to approve the removal. The presidential election must be called within 60 days.

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

The crisis has hit the country’s economy, with successful institutions shrinking and global credit agencies warning of weakening consumer and business sentiment.

Additional reports by Hosu Lee in Seoul