South Korea: Court Issues Arrest Warrant Against President Yoon Over Martial Law Decree
Seoul, South Korea: A court in South Korean issued an arrest warrant against President Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived declaration of martial law in a historic first. Yoon was impeached by the lawmakers for the move. The Seoul Western District Court on Tuesday approved the warrant following a request by the Joint Investigation Headquarters, which is probing the leader for insurrection and abuse of power. This is the first time Seoul’s authorities seeking to arrest a sitting President.
“The arrest warrant and search warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, requested by the Joint Investigation Headquarters, were issued this morning,” the Joint Investigation Headquarters, which includes officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), police and the Ministry of Defence, said in a statement. It is not clear when the arrest would take place.
The President faces possible life imprisonment, or even the death penalty, over his brief imposition of martial law, which has plunged the country into one of its biggest political turmoil in years.
Also Read: South Korean Parliament Impeaches President Yoon Suk Yeol
Earlier, Yoon’s security detail has blocked investigators from executing a number of search warrants at the presidential office compound and the president’s official residence. In a statement, which was released shortly after the court’s decision, the Presidential Security Service said that it would handle the warrant in accordance with legal processes.
The country’s media speculate that Yoon is unlikely to be arrested imminently as authorities will probably seek to coordinate with the presidential security service.
Yun Gap-geun, a lawyer for Yoon, said that the warrant was “illegal and invalid”. He argued that the CIO does not have the authority to investigate the president for insurrection. Kwon Sung-dong, the floor leader of Yoon’s People’s Power Party, also criticised the court’s decision to issue a warrant, describing it as “inappropriate”.
The President declared martial law on December 3rd, which lasted only for six hours. Yoon has been suspended from his duties since December 14, when the National Assembly voted for his impeachment in a 204-85 vote.
Also Read: South Korea: Police Raids Presidential Office, Ex-Minister Under Custody Attempts Suicide
The opposition-controlled legislature also impeach acting president Han Duck-soo, passing presidential authority to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok last week, further deepening the country’s leadership crisis.
The Democratic Party and several minor opposition parties voted to impeach Han over his refusal to immediately appoint three justices to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court, which is deliberating whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment. The court has up to six months to make its decision, after which Yoon will either be removed from office or restored to the presidency.
