By Joyce Lee and Ju-min Park
SEOUL (Reuters) – Convicted South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended court on Saturday to fight a request by investigators to extend his detention on treason charges, his lawyer said.
Yoon on Wednesday became the country's first president to be arrested, in a criminal investigation related to his short-term declaration of martial law on Dec. 3.
Investigators requested an arrest warrant Friday to extend Yoon's detention for up to 20 days. He has refused to speak to investigators and has been held at the Seoul Detention Center since his arrest.
Police were seen breaking up a crowd of Yoon's supporters blocking the entrance to the Seoul District Court, where the hearing began at around 2pm (0500 GMT). A decision is expected on Saturday or Sunday.
Television channels showed a convoy of around a dozen police cars and motorcycles escorting Yoon from the detention center to the court.
“He decided to go … to restore his honor by directly declaring the legality of the emergency martial law and that the rebellion was not launched,” Yoon's lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, said in a statement.
Treason, a crime alleged against Yoon by the Corruption Eradication Bureau, is one of the few things South Korea's current president is immune from.
Detention warrant hearings usually last two hours in South Korea but can last eight to 10 hours if disputes flare up.