South Korean President Yoon attended the court hearing for the extension of his detention

By Joyce Lee and Joo-Min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) – Impeached South Korean President Yun Suk-yeol appeared in court on Saturday to fight a request by investigators to extend his jail term on violence charges, his lawyer said.

On Wednesday, December 3, Yun became the country’s first sitting president to be arrested in a criminal investigation related to his declaration of martial law.

Investigators requested an arrest warrant Friday to extend Yeon’s detention for up to 20 days. He has been in Seoul detention since his arrest after refusing to speak to investigators.

Police were seen breaking up a crowd of Yeon supporters as the trial began at around 2pm (0500 GMT) at the Seoul Western District Courthouse. A decision is expected on Saturday or Sunday.

Television channels showed about a dozen cars and police motorcycles escorting Yoon from jail to court.

Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-kun, said in a statement that he “decided to attend to restore his dignity by directly explaining the legality of emergency martial law and the unfounded nature of the violence.”

The High Officials Corruption Investigation Bureau’s charges against Yoon are among the few for which the current South Korean president does not have immunity.

Arrest warrant hearings usually last about two hours in South Korea, but can last eight to 10 hours if arguments get heated.