South Korean investigators have requested an arrest warrant for suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief imposition of martial law earlier this month, local media reported Monday.
Yoon has not responded to summons for questioning by both the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which are jointly investigating whether his December 3rd martial-law declaration constitutes insurrection.
A court will now decide whether to issue the warrant, making it the first time an incumbent president facing such action. Although Yoon is immune from prosecution for most crimes as a sitting president, he is not protected in cases involving rebellion or treason.
Yoon’s Lawyer Decries Arrest Request
Yoon Kab-keun, the lawyer for the impeached president, called the arrest request “unfair,” asserting that the anti-corruption agency lacks the authority to make such a request. “Emergency martial law is within the president’s authority,” the lawyer stated to reporters outside the Seoul Western District Court, after submitting a written opinion on the arrest warrant request and a letter appointing lawyers.
Yoon Faces Charges After Impeachment
Yoon’s brief declaration of martial law on December 3 shocked South Korea, sparking the country’s most significant political crisis in decades.
Since December 14, Yoon has been suspended from his duties after the National Assembly voted to impeach him in a 204-85 decision.
The conservative leader, who was the nation’s top prosecutor before entering politics, now faces criminal charges of insurrection, a crime that could lead to life imprisonment or the death penalty.
A Constitutional Court trial has begun to determine whether Yoon will be reinstated or permanently removed from office, with a 180-day deadline for a decision.
On Friday, the court held its first preparatory hearing, during which Yoon’s lawyers’ request for a delay to better prepare was rejected. The court emphasized it would proceed quickly.
Leadership Crisis Deepens
The leadership crisis in South Korea deepened on Friday when the opposition-controlled legislature voted to impeach acting president Han Duck-soo, transferring presidential authority to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok.
The Democratic Party (DP) and several minor opposition parties moved to impeach Han after he declined to promptly appoint three justices to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court, which is currently deliberating whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment.
