South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in a Seoul court for his impeachment trial Tuesday, defending his short-lived martial law bid and denying charges that he ordered the military to drag lawmakers away.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended on Tuesday a Constitutional Court hearing of his impeachment trial where he denied ordering military commanders to drag lawmakers out of parliament during his short-lived bid to impose martial law.

President Yoon Suk Yeol will appear before the Constitutional Court for his impeachment trial hearing this week for the second time, an official at Yoon's legal team said Wednesday. Yoon is scheduled to attend the hearing at the Constitutional Court on Thursday,

South Korea looks set for a dramatic political showdown this week as impeachment proceedings kick off against suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, who remains holed up in his fortified residence evading arrest for a separate criminal investigation.

South Korea’s impeached president has denied that he ordered the military to drag lawmakers out of the National Assembly to prevent them from voting to reject his martial law decree last month, as he appeared for the first time before the Constitutional Court that will determine his fate.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will not attend the first day of his impeachment trial this week, according to his lawyer, who cited concerns for the suspended president’s safety. “As

The first hearing for South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial ended in just four minutes - as Yoon was not in attendance.

Mr Yoon is facing criminal charges of insurrection over his 3 December declaration of martial law that stunned South Korea and the world. The martial law decree, the country’s first in 40 years, ended after just six hours when the National Assembly voted to withdraw it, despite attempts by armed soldiers to prevent lawmakers from assembling.

Yoon Suk Yeol has made his first appearance at an impeachment trial which will decide if he should be permanently removed.