Yoon’s decision to attend hearing

[Anchor]

President Yoon, who was expected not to attend the arrest warrant hearing, decided to appear after meeting with his legal team this morning (Jan. 18).

Reporter Choi Young-yoon reports on the reasons.

[Report]

On the 16th, a hearing for the arrest warrant of President Yoon Suk Yeol was held at the Seoul Central District Court.

Only three lawyers, including Seok Dong-hyun, attended on behalf of President Yoon.

Concerns about security issues that could arise while President Yoon was being transported from the Seoul Detention Center to the court were cited as reasons.

[Bae Jin-han/Attorney for President Yoon: "We are defending on his behalf. Due to security and other various issues, it is difficult for the president to attend. Please understand and observe."]

The lawyers argued that the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials does not have the authority to investigate charges of insurrection and that it was improper to apply for an arrest warrant at the Seoul Western District Court, which is not the competent court. However, the conclusion was a dismissal.

Since an arrest warrant was requested again at the Seoul Western District Court, President Yoon was expected not to attend the hearing.

However, after meeting with his lawyers this morning, he made the sudden decision to appear.

It is said that he accepted the lawyers' suggestion that it would be better to respond confidently in court.

Considering that the previous request for a review of the arrest was dismissed and that the charges must be substantiated more specifically, it seems that he judged it necessary to appear in person himself.

Attorney Yoon Gap-geun, representing President Yoon, stated, "We decided to appear in order to explain the legitimacy of the emergency martial law and that the charge of insurrection does not hold, in order to restore his honor."

President Yoon, who mostly refused to testify during the investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, became the first sitting president to attend an arrest warrant hearing and began to defend himself in court.

This is KBS News, Choi Young-yoon.