South Korea's impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was formally arrested early Sunday after a court found he was a threat to destroy evidence. The Seoul Western District Court deliberated for hours before granting law enforcement's request for an arrest warrant, the AP reports. Yoon, who appeared before the court on Saturday to argue for his release, faces possible imprisonment over his declaration of martial law last month. He could be detained for months.
The hearing triggered chaotic scenes in nearby streets, where thousands of Yoon's supporters rallied for hours calling for his release. They clashed with police, who detained around 40 protesters, including about 20 who climbed over a fence in an attempt to approach the court, the AP reports. Yoon has been in detention since he was taken into custody on Wednesday in a massive law enforcement operation at his residence. Yoon's lawyers could file a petition to challenge the court's arrest warrant, per the AP.
Yoon's lawyers said he spoke for about 40 minutes to the judge during the nearly five-hour closed-door hearing on Saturday. A lawyer said the president was to argue that his decree was a legitimate exercise of his powers and that accusations of rebellion would not hold up before a criminal court or the Constitutional Court, which is reviewing whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him. Yoon faces potential rebellion charges linked to his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, which set off the country's most serious political crisis since its democratization in the late 1980s. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading an investigation with police and the military, had sought the arrest warrant.
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