Seoul court has approved request for Yoon Suk Yeol’s detention on charges of insurrection and abuse of power
A court in Seoul has approved a request from law enforcement authorities to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to Yonhap. This marks the first time in the country's history that a sitting leader has faced an arrest warrant.
South Korea’s Seoul Western District Court issued the warrant against Yoon on Tuesday on charges of masterminding the December 3 martial law declaration, orchestrating insurrection, and abusing power. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) filed the detention warrant after Yoon ignored three summons to appear for questioning regarding the short-lived martial law.
The court's decision gives the CIO 48 hours to take Yoon into custody for questioning, but uncertainties remain regarding the execution of the warrant. The Presidential Security Service had previously blocked investigators from entering both the presidential office compound and Yoon's official residence over alleged security concerns.
Despite having presidential immunity from criminal prosecution, this privilege does not extend to insurrection or treason charges. Yoon’s defense team argues that the CIO lacks the legal authority to investigate insurrection, a charge typically handled by the police. However, CIO chief Oh Dong-woon maintains that a court-issued detention or arrest warrant cannot be legally obstructed, even by the president.
The brief martial law declaration on December 3 shocked the nation and caused international alarm, particularly among allies like the United States. Masked troops equipped with rifles, body armor, and night-vision equipment entered the parliament, facing off against staffers who opposed them with fire extinguishers.
The martial law lasted just six hours before it was overturned by a parliamentary vote. Yoon was suspended from his duties after the National Assembly voted to impeach him on December 14. The Constitutional Court has begun proceedings to determine whether to remove Yoon from office or reinstate him, and it has 180 days from the date of impeachment to deliver its ruling.
Han Duck-soo, who became interim head of state after Yoon's suspension, was also impeached over his refusal to appoint justices to the Constitutional Court, a move necessary to finalize the impeachment process against Yoon. Han argued that he could not appoint the justices immediately due to a lack of consensus between the ruling and opposition parties. In response, the opposition Democratic Party accused him of lacking the qualifications and will to protect the Constitution.
On Friday, the country's finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, became South Korea's second acting president in two weeks.
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