Controversy over arrest warrant
This is the first time in history that a sitting Korean president has faced a detention order, according to Yonhap News Agency. Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol was suspended from his position after the National Assembly voted to impeach on December 14, 2024 over the declaration of martial law that was deemed unconstitutional on December 3, 2024. The Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO) applied for a temporary detention order after Mr. Yoon did not comply with three previous summons for questioning.
Mr. Yoon was accused of masterminding the declaration of martial law, staging a rebellion and abusing power. In addition to the detention order, the court in Seoul also approved a search warrant for Mr. Yoon’s residence in Yongsan District, Seoul.
The Korean court issued an arrest warrant for President Yoon
During yesterday’s press conference, Mr. Yoon’s lawyer Yun Gap-geun said that the court’s order was “illegal and invalid” because the CIO had no right to investigate charges of rebellion. Mr. Yoon’s defense team will apply to the Constitutional Court to suspend the validity and consider the constitutionality of the above orders. According to media, the court’s detention order is valid for 7 days and allows investigators to detain Mr. Yoon within 48 hours from the time of arrest. After that, the investigation agency must continue to apply for an arrest warrant or release Mr. Yoon.
Protesters protest against the court’s detention order outside Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol’s residence in Seoul on December 31, 2024.
Whether Mr. Yoon will be arrested or not depends on the Presidential Security Service (PSS), the force that previously used security reasons to prevent investigators from searching Mr. Yoon’s office and residence according to the law. order approved by the court. Yesterday, immediately after the court approved the detention order, PSS announced that it would handle the arrest warrant according to the legal process. CIO Director Oh Dong-woon said that the court’s temporary detention order cannot be legally blocked, even if the appellant is the president. If arrested, Mr. Yoon will be detained at the Seoul Detention Center.
Commitment of the acting president
Regarding the investigation into the declaration of martial law, the prosecution has prosecuted three high-ranking officials, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and two military commanders, on charges of rebellion. Yesterday, the Korean National Assembly launched an investigation into allegations of rebellion by Mr. Yoon and the agencies involved in that action.
On the same day, acting President Choi Sang-mok pledged to make efforts to stabilize the country in the face of an “unprecedented serious situation”. Mr. Choi, the second person to sit in the hot seat since Mr. Yoon was suspended, listed the most serious challenges facing Korea including changes in the global trade environment and the foreign context. relations, as well as domestic political instability stemming from the declaration of martial law.
Yesterday, Mr. Choi appointed two judges of the Constitutional Court, a body with 9 members that is considering impeaching Mr. Yoon. If 6/9 judges agree with the impeachment proposal, Mr. Yoon will become the second president in history to be deposed. Mr. Choi is Deputy Prime Minister in charge of the Economy and Minister of Finance, taking over as interim president last week, after the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach acting President – Prime Minister Han Duck. -soo for not appointing judges.
