South Korean law enforcement officials have asked a court to issue an arrest warrant to investigate whether the brief martial law imposed by impeached President Yun Seok-Yeong constitutes rebellion.
The High-level Corruption Investigation Bureau, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities into the power seizure that lasted just a few hours on December 3, confirmed it had applied for a warrant in a Seoul court. Authorities plan to interrogate Yoon on suspicion of abuse of power and orchestrating rebellion.
Yoon has repeatedly evaded requests by the joint investigation team and prosecutors to appear for questioning, and has also blocked raids on his office. It is unclear whether the court will grant the warrant or whether it will be able to force Yoon to appear in court.
The application by investigative authorities is the first attempt in the country's history to forcibly detain a president before impeachment proceedings are complete.
Under the country's law, places that may be related to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without the consent of those in charge, and if detained, Mr. Yun could voluntarily leave his residence. gender is low.
Although Yun's declaration of martial law lasted for several hours, the National Assembly on Dec. After passing the impeachment resolution, Yun's presidential powers were suspended. Yoon's fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has upheld the impeachment and has begun deliberations on whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him.
Yun defended martial law as a necessary act of governance and described it as a warning to the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which has muddied his agenda by the parliamentary majority.
Last week, the National Assembly also voted to impeach Prime Minister Han Do-soo, who took over as acting president after Yoon's powers were suspended, for his reluctance to fill three vacancies on the Constitutional Court before the review of Yoon's case. did.
The new interim leader is Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who is also the finance minister.
