Arrest of impeached S. Korean president Yoon sought

Yonhap, Philippine News Agency

FILE: Yoon Suk Yeol, the 20th President of Republic of Korea. (Photo By Republic of Korea from Seoul, Republic of Korea/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0)

SEOUL – A joint investigation team said Monday it has sought an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law, making him the first sitting president to face arrest.

The team said it sought the warrant on insurrection and abuse of power charges after Yoon ignored three summonses to appear for questioning.

The request was filed with the Seoul Western District Court at midnight Sunday, according to the team comprised of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), the police and the defense ministry’s investigation unit.

Investigators said Yoon led an insurrection and abused his power when he declared martial law on Dec. 3 and allegedly ordered troops to the National Assembly to stop lawmakers from voting down the decree.

Yoon has denied the charges, saying his declaration of martial law was an “act of governance” to warn the opposition party against what he described as its abuse of legislative power.

Yun Gap-geun, one of Yoon’s legal representatives, vowed to take “formal steps” in response.

“It’s a request by an agency that does not have the authority to investigate (insurrection charges),” he told Yonhap News Agency, referring to the CIO. (Yonhap)