A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol over his imposition of martial law, officials announced on Tuesday.
The joint investigation unit, comprising the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, the National Office of Investigation, and the Defense Ministry’s investigation headquarters, confirmed the issuance of arrest and search warrants against Yoon earlier in the morning.
This marks the first time in South Korea’s modern history that an arrest warrant has been issued against a sitting president.
No schedule has been set for executing the warrants, which are typically valid for one week from the date of issuance. The joint investigation unit had requested the warrants from the Seoul Western District Court on charges of insurrection and other offenses the day before.
The unit had previously asked Yoon to appear for questioning on December 18, December 25, and December 29. However, the impeached leader refused to receive the summonses and did not submit documents to appoint his defense counsel.
In response, Yoon’s team submitted a written opinion and appointed defense counsel to the Seoul Court just hours after the warrant requests were made.
Yoon is suspected of being a ringleader in an insurrection case. On December 12, he addressed the nation in a televised speech, stating he would not avoid legal and political responsibility for declaring martial law on December 3—a move that was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
The National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Yoon on December 14, sending it to the constitutional court for deliberation. The court has up to 180 days to make a decision, during which time Yoon’s presidential powers are suspended.
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South Korean court issues warrant to arrest impeached President Yoon
cgtn.com
