A South Korean court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant to detain impeached President Yun Seok-Yeol and search her office and residence amid a criminal investigation into martial law imposed earlier this month.
The move marks the first time a sitting president of the country has faced arrest and follows weeks of intense political turmoil in South Korea, Asia's fourth-largest economy and a key ally of the United States. The country is also grappling with the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people on Sunday.
The Seoul Western District Court issued a warrant to arrest Yoon and search his presidential palace and residence in central Seoul, according to a statement from the Office of High-Level Corruption Investigation, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities.
A South Korean court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant to detain impeached President Yun Seok-Yeol. (AP Photo/Lee Jin Man)
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The agency is investigating whether Yoon's declaration on December 3 constitutes rebellion, and said that Yoon has been suspended.
Under South Korean law, rebel leaders can face the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted.
It is unclear when authorities will proceed with the warrant, and the president's lawyers have called the warrant “null and void” and “illegal.” His whereabouts are not publicly known and he is prohibited from leaving the country.
Yun enjoys presidential immunity from most criminal prosecutions, but that privilege does not extend to charges of sedition or treason.
By law, South Korea's president can only declare martial law in times of war or similar emergencies, and he does not have the right to suspend parliamentary operations even under martial law.
After struggling to pass his policies through an opposition-dominated parliament, Mr. Yun abruptly declared martial law and promised to eliminate “anti-state” forces. However, martial law only took effect for about six hours after Congress passed a resolution overturning the president's decision.
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The country is also grappling with the Jeju Air crash that killed 179 people on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ahn Young Jun)
Afterwards, National Assembly members submitted a motion to impeach the president over the martial law declaration, and Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People's Power Party, criticized the martial law declaration as “unconstitutional.”
After declaring martial law, Yun sent hundreds of troops and police to parliament and tried to block a vote on the order before withdrawing after parliament rejected it. Although no large-scale violence occurred, public protests increased both in opposition and in support of Mr. Yun.
Parliament voted to impeach him on December 14, during which hundreds of military and police officers were deployed to parliament.
Prime Minister Han Do-soo, who succeeded Yoon as acting president, was also impeached by Congress for failing to fill the seats for three judges on the nine-member Constitutional Court. Yoon can only be removed from office if the court upholds his impeachment.
Experts have pointed out that increasing the number of judges could increase the chances of Yoon's impeachment, as it would require the support of at least six judges. The next hearing in Yun's Constitutional Court case is scheduled for Friday.
On December 30, 2024, South Korean Acting President Choi Sang-mok places flowers at the memorial altar at Muan Sports Park in Muan, South Korea, for the victims of a passenger plane that crashed off the runway and burst into flames. (AP Photo/Ahn Young Jun)
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Kim Young Hyun, Mr. Yun, who resigned as Mr. Yun's defense minister after playing a key role in imposing martial law, was detained and charged on Friday with sedition and abuse of power.
On Monday, the new acting president, Choi Sang-mok, presided over a meeting of the task force investigating the Jeju air accident. The Boeing 737-800 landed without deploying its nose gear, overshot the runway and crashed into a concrete fence, exploding in a fireball.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
