S Korea's Yoon in court again for hearings

SEOUL: South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been arrested and suspended from duties over his declaration of martial law, was in court again on Tuesday for hearings that will decide whether to officially remove him from office. The former prosecutor plunged democratic South Korea into political turmoil when he declared martial law on December 3, suspending civilian rule and sending soldiers to parliament. His attempt to impose martial law only lasted around six hours as the opposition-led parliament defied troops to vote it down, and later impeached him over the move.

Yoon suggested at the hearing that even if he had ordered the arrest of MPs to prevent them from voting down his decree, it would not legally matter because it had not been carried out. 'Debating whether I had given the (arrest) order or not when nothing had happened felt like chasing the shadow of the moon on the river,' he said. During Tuesday's hearing, two former military commanders and an ex-spy agency official testified as witnesses. — AFP