A South Korean court has made history by issuing an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, marking the first time authorities have sought to arrest a sitting president.
The Seoul Western District Court approved the warrant on December 31, 2024, following a request from the Joint Investigation Headquarters, which is investigating Yoon for insurrection and abuse of power related to his controversial declaration of martial law on December 3.
The Joint Investigation Headquarters, which includes officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, police, and the defense ministry, stated that both arrest and search warrants were issued for Yoon. However, it remains unclear when authorities might attempt to detain him, as his security detail has previously blocked attempts to execute search warrants at the presidential office.
Yoon’s lawyer, Yun Gap-geun, criticized the warrant as “illegal and invalid,” asserting that the CIO lacks the authority to investigate the president for insurrection. He indicated that the legal team plans to seek an injunction at the Constitutional Court to invalidate the warrant.
In a further escalation of the political crisis, the National Assembly recently voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo, transferring presidential authority to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok. This political turmoil has raised concerns about stability in South Korea, as Yoon faces severe penalties, including life imprisonment or even the death penalty, for his actions.
Yoon has defended his martial law decree as legal and necessary, citing threats from “anti-state forces.” The Constitutional Court has up to six months to decide on Yoon’s impeachment, determining his fate as president.
