It is the first time in the history of South Korea that a president has been targeted by a legal action of this type
A South Korean court issued the requested arrest warrant yesterday against ousted President Yoon Suk-yeol, following his failed attempt earlier this month to impose martial law. Investigators made this known today.
“The arrest warrant and search warrant against the president were issued this morning,” the joint authority in charge of investigating Yoon said in a statement. “No timetable has been established for the continuation of the procedures,” he added. It is the first time in the history of South Korea that a president has been targeted by a legal action of this kind, with Yoon Suk-yeol still officially in office awaiting the Constitutional Court’s ruling on his resignation, adopted on the 14th December by the National Assembly. He is currently suspended from office and the court is expected to confirm or annul his resignation by mid-June. Yoon stunned the Asian country on December 3 by surprisely proclaiming martial law and sending the army into Parliament. He was forced to back down a few hours later under pressure from deputies and thousands of protesters. A former prosecutor, 64-year-old Yoon has three times refused to comply with a summons for questioning over his coup, leading to calls for an arrest warrant against him yesterday.
One of Yoon Suk-yeol’s lawyers said today that the arrest warrant issued against the deposed South Korean president is “illegal and invalid.” “Arrest, search and seizure warrants issued at the request of an agency without investigative authority are illegal and invalid,” said lawyer Yoon Kab-keun, referring to the body investigating the president who attempted to to impose martial law in the Asian country.
