A first in South Korean history! Arrest warrant issued for President Yoon in martial law investigation

Arrest warrant issued for President Yoon in South Korean martial law investigation

According to Yonhap news, the Seoul Western District Court has accepted the arrest request filed as part of a joint investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), the National Police Agency, and the Ministry of National Defense regarding high-level officials.

The court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon in the investigation conducted on suspicion of "insurrection" and "abuse of power."

The court also approved the investigators' request to search the presidential residence.

Investigators have one week to execute the warrants.

The officials conducting the investigation had summoned the President to testify three times on December 18, 25, and 29, but requested his arrest from the court yesterday, stating that Yoon had not responded to the summons.

One of Yoon's lawyers, Yun Gap-geun, had argued that the CIO was not authorized to conduct an investigation on suspicion of "insurrection" and stated that they would take legal action in response to the request.

This is the first time in South Korean history that an arrest warrant has been issued for a sitting president.

WHAT HAPPENED?

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a televised address on the night of December 3, citing the "involvement of the opposition in anti-state activities," but took a step back after the parliament voted to lift the decision and it was subsequently approved by the Cabinet.

Yoon had accused the opposition of "preventing the government from functioning" and argued that martial law was "aimed at eliminating pro-North Korean forces and protecting the constitutional order of freedom."

Following the declaration of martial law, the Ministry of National Defense had instructed military commanders to hold meetings and called for them to be on high alert. Meanwhile, it was reported that soldiers assigned as "martial law troops" had entered the National Assembly.

In an emergency session held at the National Assembly, the motion to lift the martial law decision was accepted with the votes of 190 lawmakers. The Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly announced that martial law had become "null and void" following the vote.

Upon this, Yoon, who convened the Cabinet, announced that he was ending martial law following the cabinet's approval.

The motion submitted to the Assembly by the main opposition Democratic Party and 5 small opposition parties for the impeachment of Yoon on the grounds that the declaration of martial law was unconstitutional was rejected in the vote on December 7 because the qualified majority could not be reached.

The second motion submitted by the opposition parties for the same reason was accepted in the vote on December 14, this time by achieving the qualified majority. Yoon, whose impeachment was requested by the Assembly, was temporarily suspended from duty until the Constitutional Court makes a decision about him, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was appointed as acting president.

In the vote held in the National Assembly on December 27 at the initiative of the opposition, an impeachment decision was also made for Prime Minister Han, who was acting as president. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sang-mok took over the acting presidency in place of Han.