SEOUL: South Korea's ousted President Yoon Seok Yeol faces potentially his last impeachment hearing on Thursday (Feb 13) over his failed martial law bid before judges begin deliberations on whether to formally remove him from office.
The former prosecutor has remained defiant through weeks of hearings at Seoul's Constitutional Court, blaming a "malicious" opposition for his December bid to suspend civilian rule.
The attempt only lasted six hours as the opposition-led parliament voted the declaration down, later impeaching him over his attempt to impose martial law.
Yoon was detained last month on insurrection charges, becoming the first sitting South Korean head of state to be arrested.
The ousted president arrived at the court around 9am local time (0000 GMT), an AFP journalist saw.
Thursday's hearing is set to hear evidence from the former chief of South Korea's intelligence service and one of the heads of Seoul's Capital Defence Command, the military unit dispatched to the parliament during the short-lived martial law bid.
It is widely expected - but not officially confirmed - to be Yoon's last hearing before the court's judges go behind closed doors to deliberate whether to uphold his impeachment.
The lawyers prosecuting the case said on Thursday "the time is ripe for a constitutional assessment", adding they will "humbly await the outcome of the impeachment trial".