Seoul: A South Korean court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been impeached and suspended from power over his decision to impose martial law on Dec. 3, investigating authorities said.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) confirmed the Seoul Western District Court approved the warrant requested by investigators examining Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law.
This is the first arrest warrant issued for an incumbent president in South Korea, according to local media.
The CIO did not comment on the court’s reasoning for granting the arrest warrant. The court declined to comment.
It was unclear when or how the arrest warrant for Yoon will be carried out. South Korea’s presidential security service said in a statement on Tuesday that it will treat the arrest warrant according to due process.
The court also approved a search warrant for Yoon’s residence, the CIO said.
Previously, police have tried but failed to successfully raid the presidential office as part of the investigation, due to the presidential security service blocking access.
Yoon is facing a criminal investigation into possible insurrection charges. Insurrection is one of the few charges for which a South Korean president does not have immunity.
The acting leader of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party, Kweon Seong-dong, said on Tuesday that attempting to detain a sitting president is inappropriate, according to Yonhap news agency.
(Reporting by Josh Smith, Joyce Lee, Hyunsu Yim and Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Tom Hogue and Christian Schmollinger)
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