A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached and suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, investigators confirmed on Tuesday. The warrant stems from his brief declaration of martial law on December 3, which led to South Korea’s worst political crisis in decades.
Yoon, who temporarily suspended civilian rule, was stripped of his presidential duties by parliament over the controversial move. A ruling by the Constitutional Court on the legitimacy of his impeachment is still pending.
The arrest and search warrants were issued earlier on Tuesday, according to the Joint Investigation Headquarters, which is leading the probe. “The arrest warrant and search warrant were issued this morning,” the statement read.
Yoon faces serious criminal charges, including insurrection, which carry potential penalties ranging from life imprisonment to the death penalty. Investigators had sought the arrest after Yoon failed to appear for questioning for the third time.
“There is concern that the individual may refuse to comply with summons without justifiable reasons,” a Corruption Investigation Office official told reporters.
The official added that there was “sufficient probable cause” to suspect criminal activity. The arrest warrant is valid until January 6, and Yoon is expected to be held at the Seoul detention center.
In response, Yoon’s legal team called the warrant “illegal and invalid,” asserting that the investigators lacked the authority to probe the former president. “The arrest warrant and search warrant issued at the request of an agency without investigative authority are illegal and invalid,” Yoon’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, said in a statement to AFP. He also denied the charges of insurrection, emphasizing that there was no intent to disrupt the constitutional order or stage an uprising.
