Environmental Protection AgencySouth Korea's suspended president, Yoon Suk-yeol, made his first appearance in his impeachment trial, where he denied ordering the arrest of lawmakers while trying to impose martial law.
Parliament voted to impeach Yoon last month and last week The Constitutional Court began the trial To decide whether to permanently remove him from office.
Yoon also faces a separate criminal investigation into whether he led a rebellion. He has been detained since last week.
Security was tightened on Tuesday as Yoon was transported by truck from the detention center, where he is being held, to the Constitutional Court.
Police formed human walls and set up anti-riot barricades to prevent hundreds of his supporters who had gathered nearby from approaching. Last weekend saw violence as dozens of Yoon's supporters clashed with law enforcement He stormed another courthouse.
Yoon was asked on Tuesday whether he ordered military commanders to “recall” lawmakers from Parliament on the night he declared martial law, in order to prevent them from rescinding his order.
He replied: “No.”
Military commanders had previously claimed that Yoon issued such an order on December 3, after lawmakers scaled fences and broke barriers to enter the parliament building and vote on Yoon declaring martial law.
“I am a person who has lived by the firm belief in liberal democracy,” Yoon said in his opening remarks on Tuesday.
“Since the Constitutional Court exists to protect the Constitution, I ask you to carefully examine all aspects of this case,” he told the judges.
During the nearly two-hour hearing, Yoon and his lawyers said the martial law order was “a formality that was not supposed to be implemented.”
Yoon had cited threats from “anti-state forces” and North Korea when he declared martial law, but it soon became clear that his move was not motivated by external threats but by his own internal political problems.
The lawyers handling the case, chosen by Parliament, accused Yoon and his lawyers of making “contradictory, irrational and largely unclear” comments.
“If they continue to evade responsibility as they did today, it will only work against them in the impeachment trial and will cause even greater disappointment among the public,” prosecutors told reporters after the hearing.
Outside the courtroom, his supporters became more agitated and aggressive as they demanded Yoon's immediate release and reinstatement.
They were forced to stay away from the court due to tight security measures. Some waved their distinctive mix of Korean and American flags, and some wore MAGA-style baseball caps emblazoned with the slogan “Make Korea Free Again,” an echo of the campaign slogan used by US President Donald Trump.
Some of their chants included calls for the execution of South Korea's main opposition party leader, Lee Jae-myung, and the investigator leading Yoon's criminal case.
Many supporters told the BBC they believed Yoon's declaration of martial law was an attempt to protect democracy in the country.
They accused the opposition party of being pro-China and pro-North Korea, and of wanting to turn South Korea into a communist state.
“This is a struggle between people who seek communism and people who seek democracy,” said Wongyun Seong, a 49-year-old businessman who joined the protest on his way back from a lunch meeting.
Former Defense Minister Kim Young-hyunHe, who is said to have suggested martial law be imposed on Yoon, will testify during the next hearing on Thursday.
Yoon will be removed from office if at least six members of the eight-member Constitutional Court vote to uphold the impeachment. A presidential election must then be called within 60 days.
South Korea has been witnessing a state of political chaos since December 3. Thousands of demonstrators and Yoon's supporters took to the streets several times despite the winter cold.
The crisis has hit the country's economy, with the won weakening and global credit rating agencies warning of weak consumer and business sentiment.
Additional reporting by Hosoo Lee in Seoul
