Court’s issuance of warrant marks first time South Korean authorities have sought to arrest a sitting president.
Published On 31 Dec 2024
A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived declaration of martial law in a historic first.
Seoul Western District Court on Tuesday approved the warrant following a request by the Joint Investigation Headquarters, which is investigating the embattled South Korean leader for insurrection and abuse of power.
“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 defence ministry, said in a statement.
The move marks the first time authorities have sought to arrest a sitting South Korean president. It is unclear when authorities might attempt to take Yoon into custody.
Yoon’s security detail previously blocked investigators from executing a number of search warrants at the presidential office compound and the president’s official residence.
The Presidential Security Service (PSS) said in a statement shortly after the court’s decision it would handle the warrant in accordance with legal processes.
South Korean media have speculated Yoon is unlikely to be arrested imminently as authorities would seek to coordinate with the PSS.
If Yoon is taken into custody, investigators would have 48 hours to decide whether to apply for a warrant to detain him for further questioning or release him.
Injunction sought
Yun Gap-geun, a lawyer for Yoon, said