South Korean investigators seek arrest warrant for ousted President Yoon

Investigators have requested a warrant for the formal arrest of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday, charging him with unsuccessfully imposing martial law. This marks the first time in South Korea’s constitutional history that such a request has been made for a sitting head of state.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) accused Yoon of leading an uprising and abusing his authority in connection with the short-term imposition of martial law on December 3. The application was filed at the Seoul Western District Court at 5:40 p.m.

A CIO official cited the gravity of the alleged offenses and the risk of recurrence as grounds for issuing the arrest warrant.

Yoon is accused of declaring an illegal and unconstitutional martial law on December 3, allegedly with the intention of leading an uprising. He is also accused of issuing an illegal martial law decree that banned political activities of the National Assembly and mobilizing the martial law command and police to shut down parliament, thereby blocking efforts to lift martial law.

Among the charges against Yoon is the allegation that he attempted to arrest and detain prominent politicians and national election observers.

The request came two days after investigators arrested Yoon at his home and took him to a detention center following questioning.

The court will hold a hearing at 2 p.m. on Saturday to determine whether to issue a warrant for Yoon’s formal arrest. Factors such as the risk of the suspect fleeing or destroying evidence, as well as whether the suspect has disclosed his condition, will be taken into consideration.

Under South Korean law, a suspect can be detained for 48 hours under a detention order. A formal arrest warrant is required to detain a suspect for a longer period.

Since his detention, Yoon has refused to appear for questioning regarding the failed martial law bid. He appealed to the Seoul Central District Court to review the legality of his detention, but the court rejected the appeal on Thursday night and ordered Yoon’s continued detention.

Yoon defended his brief imposition of martial law, stating that it was not a crime but “the exercise of presidential authority to deal with a national crisis.”

It remains unclear whether Yoon will attend the arrest warrant hearing scheduled for Saturday. If Yoon decides to waive the hearing, the court will determine whether to issue the arrest warrant through a written hearing or an interrogation involving prosecutors and Yoon’s lawyers.