A warrant could be issued for a South Korean pastor accused of sexually assaulting young North Korean defectors.

The Seoul Central District Court held a hearing for the pretrial detention warrant for 45 minutes on Monday morning for the pastor known for rescuing over a thousand defectors over two decades, which led to the nickname "Asian Schindler" in some circles.

Charged with violating the Act on the Protection of Children and Juveniles from Sexual Abuse, the pastor, after attending the review, did not answer questions about whether he denies the allegations or would apologize to the victims.

He is accused of sexually assaulting at least eight North Korean minors over five years at a boarding school he operates.

Following complaints filed by the victims, the police raided the school, analyzed security camera footage and questioned the pastor before filing for a pretrial detention warrant on Friday.

He is known to have denied the charges during police questioning while conveying apologies to some of the victims.