A South Korea A court on Tuesday approved warrants to detain ousted President Yoon Suk-yul and search his office and residence amid a criminal investigation into the martial law decree he issued earlier this month.
The move marks the first time a sitting president of the country has faced arrest, and comes after weeks of high tension Political unrest In South Korea, the fourth largest economy in Asia and a major ally of the United States. The country is also dealing with the deadly Jeju Airlines plane crash that killed 179 people on Sunday.
The Seoul Western District Court issued warrants for Yoon's arrest and search of the presidential office and his residence in central Seoul, according to a statement from the Senior Officials Corruption Investigation Bureau, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities.
A South Korean court on Tuesday approved arrest warrants to arrest ousted President Yeon Suk-yul. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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The agency says it is investigating whether Yoon's Dec. 3 announcement amounted to rebellion, and he has been suspended from his post.
Under South Korean law, the rebel leader could face the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted.
It is unclear when the authorities will proceed with issuing the arrest warrants, as the president's lawyer described the arrest warrants as “invalid” and “illegal.” His whereabouts are not publicly known, and he has been banned from leaving the country.
Yoon enjoys presidential immunity from most criminal prosecution, but the privilege does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.
By law, South Korea's president is only allowed to declare martial law in times of war or similar emergencies, and has no right to suspend parliamentary operations even under martial law.
Yoon suddenly imposed martial law and vowed to eliminate “anti-state” forces after struggling to get his agenda through the opposition-dominated parliament. However, martial law has only been in effect for six hours since the attack National Assembly They voted to overturn the president's decision.
The country is also dealing with the deadly Jeju Airlines plane crash that killed 179 people on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ahn Young Joon)
Then lawmakers filed A motion to impeach the president over the declaration of martial law, with People Power Party leader Han Dong-hun criticizing the declaration of martial law as “unconstitutional.”
After declaring martial law, Yoon sent hundreds of troops and police officers to Parliament to try to block his vote on the decree before they withdrew after Parliament rejected it. No major violence occurred but public protests swelled in both opposition and support for Yoon.
The National Assembly voted to impeach him on December 14, with hundreds of troops and police officers deployed to the assembly.
Prime Minister Han Dak-soo, who took over as acting president from Yoon, was also impeached by Parliament after failing to fill three judicial seats in the nine-member parliament. Constitutional Court. Yoon can only be removed from office if the court upholds his removal.
Experts say adding more justices could increase Yoon's chances of impeachment because that would require support from at least six justices. The next hearing in Yoon's case before the Constitutional Court is scheduled for Friday.
Acting President of South Korea Choi Sang-mok lays a flower for the victims on a plane that skidded off the runway and caught fire, on a memorial altar at Muan Sports Park in Muan, South Korea, on December 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young Joon)
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kim young hyun, He, who resigned as defense minister in Yoon's government after playing a key role in the martial law decree, was arrested and charged on Friday with rebellion and abuse of power.
New interim President Choi Sang-muk on Monday chaired a task force meeting to investigate the Jeju Air disaster. The Boeing 737-800 landed without using the nose landing gear, overshot the runway, and collided with a helicopter. concrete fence and exploded in a fireball.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
