Politics Arrest warrant request against South Korea's suspended president
Investigators in South Korea have applied for an arrest warrant against suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol for abuse of power and sedition.
30.12.2024, 04:54
SDA
This was reported by the Yonhap news agency. Yoon had previously ignored three summonses from the Corruption Investigation Bureau for questioning in the case of his brief imposition of martial law earlier this month.
The move by the authorities had already been expected. Yoon is thus the first president to be threatened with arrest during his term of office. A court must now examine the application. Yoon is under investigation because he unexpectedly imposed martial law at the beginning of December in the midst of the budget dispute and then lifted it hours later. South Korea has been in a serious national crisis ever since. Former Finance Minister and Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang Mok is currently in temporary charge of state affairs.
The National Assembly voted for Yoon's impeachment in mid-December. The Constitutional Court has begun proceedings and is now examining whether the parliament's decision was unconstitutional or in accordance with the constitution. Yoon recently defended his controversial decision on the grounds that he had declared martial law to protect the nation. The opposition accuses him of breaking the constitution.
