A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, following allegations of his attempt to impose martial law during a controversial effort to consolidate power.
The Joint Investigation Headquarters confirmed the warrant’s issuance, stating, “The arrest and search warrants for President Yoon Suk Yeol, requested by the Joint Investigation Headquarters, were issued this morning.” However, they did not provide details on the next steps in the legal proceedings.
The warrant came after Yoon failed to appear for questioning for the third time in connection with his declaration of martial law. This move, made earlier in the month, temporarily suspended civilian rule, triggering South Korea’s worst political crisis in decades. Yoon was stripped of his presidential duties by parliament, and a constitutional court ruling is awaited to determine whether the impeachment will be upheld.
The suspended president is also facing charges of insurrection, a crime that could result in severe penalties, including life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
The court issued the warrant 33 hours after it was requested, which is reportedly the longest time in South Korea’s history for a warrant hearing, suggesting the court carefully considered how to proceed.
While the arrest warrant has been granted, it remains uncertain whether investigators and police will be able to carry it out, as the Presidential Security Service has previously refused to comply with multiple search warrants. On Tuesday morning, police were stationed outside Yoon’s residence in Seoul, anticipating potential protests or clashes between his supporters and those calling for his removal.
Despite the warrant’s issuance, local media reports indicate that an immediate arrest or search of the presidential residence is unlikely, as coordination with the presidential security service would be required.
Yoon is under investigation by a joint team of prosecutors, police, defense ministry, and anti-corruption officials. According to a report seen by AFP, prosecutors allege that Yoon authorized the military to fire weapons if necessary to gain access to parliament during his failed martial law attempt.
Yoon’s legal representative, Yoon Kab-keun, dismissed the accusations, calling the report “a one-sided account” that “does not align with objective circumstances or common sense.”
Yoon declared martial law in a televised address on December 3, claiming it was meant to eliminate “anti-state elements.” In response, lawmakers quickly voted to reject the declaration, while military forces, including armed troops, stormed parliament, scaling fences, breaking windows, and landing by helicopter. The prosecution report further alleges that Yoon had been discussing the possibility of martial law with senior military officials since March.
The political crisis intensified last week when Yoon’s replacement, Han Duck-soo, was impeached by parliament for failing to push through investigations into Yoon. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok now serves as acting president, immediately facing another crisis with the deadly Jeju Air plane crash on Sunday, which claimed 179 lives.
