South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended on Tuesday a Constitutional Court hearing of his impeachment trial where he denied ordering military commanders to drag lawmakers out of parliament during his short-lived bid to impose martial law.

South Korea looks set for a dramatic political showdown this week as impeachment proceedings kick off against suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, who remains holed up in his fortified residence evading arrest for a separate criminal investigation.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol denied wrongdoing as he branded himself as a firm believer in democracy in his first appearance at an impeachment trial looking into his shocking and brief imposition of martial law last month.