May 12, Kathmandu- Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared in court on Monday for another hearing in his criminal case.

Yoon was formally removed from office last month after being impeached by lawmakers on December 3 for attempting to overthrow civilian rule by deploying armed soldiers to parliament.

He became the first head of state in South Korean history to be arrested while in office. However, he was later released on procedural grounds.

Yoon was ordered to appear at the hearing by a Seoul court and was stripped of his right to enter an underground parking lot. This means that for the first time, he had a media scrum (to face questions from journalists).

Yoon, dressed in a suit and red tie, walked away without answering any questions from reporters during his appearance in court. The former president has spent more than 90 minutes in previous hearings and has denied any involvement in rebellion.

Yoon would be the third South Korean president to be convicted of rebellion, after two military leaders in a 1979 coup. Yoon could face life in prison, the maximum penalty, or the death penalty if convicted.

South Korea has had an informal moratorium on the death penalty since 1997, so it is unlikely that he will be executed.

Earlier in May, prosecutors indicted Yoon without custody on charges of abuse of power over the declaration of martial law.

The indictment came a day after investigators raided Yoon’s private residence in Seoul as part of an investigation into allegations that his wife, Kim Kyung-hee, and an intermediary were involved in receiving large gifts for the former first lady.

On Sunday, Yoon’s party, the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP), registered former Labor Minister Kim Moon-soo as its presidential candidate.

“The June 3 election is a matter of life and death for South Korea’s liberal democratic system,” Yoon wrote on Facebook.

"Citizens, especially our young generation who value freedom, I urge you to stand with us once again," Yoon, 64, wrote.