A South Korean court has approved an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached and suspended from office following his declaration of martial law on December 3. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) announced that the Seoul Western District Court issued the warrant, marking the first time an incumbent president in South Korea has faced such action.
The arrest warrant, valid until January 6, allows for Yoon to be detained at the Seoul Detention Center. Investigators cited Yoon’s repeated failure to respond to summons and sufficient grounds to suspect him of criminal activity, including leading an insurrection. Insurrection charges are among the few offenses that strip South Korean presidents of immunity.
The court also approved a search warrant for Yoon’s residence. Earlier attempts by law enforcement to raid the presidential office were unsuccessful due to resistance from the presidential security service.
South Korea’s presidential security service stated it would handle the warrant in accordance with due process. However, the acting leader of the ruling People Power Party, Kweon Seong-dong, criticized the move as inappropriate. Opposition Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min emphasized the urgency of executing the warrants while acknowledging potential challenges in carrying them out.
