South Korea investigators request arrest warrant for Yoon over martial law

SEOUL (Reuters) : South Korea’s joint investigation unit has requested an arrest warrant for suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law earlier this month, an official said on Monday.

Yoon has failed to respond to multiple summons for questioning by police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials who are jointly investigating whether his Dec. 3 martial-law declaration amounted to insurrection.

It is the first time that an arrest warrant has been sought for a sitting president in South Korea.

A Seoul court will decide whether to issue an arrest warrant following the request.

Insurrection is one of the few charges for which a South Korean president does not have immunity.

Yoon Kab-keun, a lawyer for the suspended president, told the Yonhap news agency that the anti-corruption agency has no authority to investigate insurrection charges.

He did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Yoon was suspended from presidential powers after being impeached by parliament earlier this month over his decision to briefly impose martial law.

Masked martial law troops equipped with rifles, body armour and night-vision equipment entered the parliament where they faced off with staffers who opposed them with fire extinguishers.

The decree lasted just hours until the parliament voted it down and Yoon backed down.

The move shocked the nation, which has been a democracy since the 1980s, caused international alarm amongst allies like the United States and trading partner’s with Asia’s 4th largest economy.

A Constitutional Court trial is ongoing into whether to reinstate Yoon or remove him permanently from office. It has 180 days to reach a decision.

On Friday, the court held its first preparatory hearing where a request by Yoon’s lawyers for a postponement in proceedings to better prepare was denied. The court said it would move swiftly.

The next hearing is due on Jan. 3.