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 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 Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) transferred the case of impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for