A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol in connection with his attempt to impose martial law on December 3. The warrant follows Yoon’s failure to comply with three summonses over the past two weeks, as he is being investigated for abusing his power and inciting insurrection. Yoon’s legal team has dismissed the warrant as “illegal and invalid,” stating they will challenge it in court.
The country has been in a political crisis since Yoon’s brief martial law declaration. Both he and his successor have been impeached by an opposition-majority parliament. If the arrest warrant is executed, Yoon will be the first sitting South Korean president to face arrest. The court in Seoul has given investigators until January 6 to carry out the arrest, although they may request an extension. However, it is unclear whether they will be able to enforce the warrant, as Yoon’s security team and protesters could obstruct their efforts.
Previously, the presidential security service blocked investigators from entering the presidential office and Yoon’s private residence to conduct court-approved searches. In the past, South Korean authorities have abandoned attempts to arrest high-profile politicians when their aides and supporters physically blocked the police. Yoon’s legal team argued that declaring martial law was within the president’s constitutional authority, and they claimed that his failure to attend the summonses was due to “legitimate concerns.”
Yoon’s whereabouts are unknown, but he is banned from leaving the country. Although suspended from presidential duties since December 14 following an impeachment vote, Yoon cannot be removed from office unless his impeachment is upheld by the Constitutional Court. Currently, only six of the nine judges on the Constitutional Court are serving. A single rejection of the impeachment would allow Yoon to stay in office.
The opposition had hoped the appointment of three new judges would improve the chances of upholding the impeachment, but their proposal was vetoed by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo last week. In response, the opposition impeached Han, who has been acting as president since Yoon’s suspension. Now, they are threatening to impeach Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who currently holds both the acting president and acting prime minister roles. On Tuesday, Choi appointed two new judges but stated that a third would require consensus between the opposition and governing parties.
