South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol addresses the nation at the presidential office on December 14, 2024 in Seoul, South Korea.
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Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeon could become the country’s first sitting president to face arrest after a court issued a warrant for him, local media reported.
The Seoul Western District Court issued a detention order against Yoon, Korea Times reported, after he he did not appear for the interrogationdespite repeated calls from a joint investigation unit consisting of South Korea’s police and the Office of Corruption Investigation for high-ranking officials.
The order authorizes the CIO to take Yoon into custody for questioning within 48 hours.
Yoon Kab-keun, the current president’s lawyer, is he said that the investigation of sedition charges was beyond the CIO’s purview. Citing security reasons, the presidential security service blocked access to the presidential office and Yoon’s official residence, according to the news agency Yonhap.
South Korean presidents do not enjoy immunity from charges of rebellion or treason. Moreover, presidents are not allowed to interfere with a court order for detention or arrest, according to CIO chief Oh Dong-woon.
Yoon faces charges related to his declaration martial law on December 3, which he justified as necessary for the protection of the constitution. He lifted the state of emergency six hours after the country’s National Assembly voted to annul his decree.
Lawmakers impeached Yoon on Dec. 14, with members of his People Power Party voting in favor of the motion. The previous vote had he failed achieve a two-thirds majority.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court has begun proceedings to determine whether Yoon should be removed from office or reinstated, the report said. Yonhap. They will issue a verdict within 180 days, starting from December 14.
While the impeachment suspends Yoon from his duties and powers as head of state, he remains president while the Constitutional Court hears his case.
After Yoon’s impeachment, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo replaced the president.
However, Han was too revoked last week. The opposition Democratic Party accused him of not being willing to immediately appoint three judges of the Constitutional Court.
Chio Sang-mok, deputy prime minister and finance minister, became acting president on December 27 following Han’s impeachment.
— CNBC’s Ruxandra Iordache and Hakyung Kim contributed to this report.
