South Korean investigators asked this Monday (30) for an arrest warrant for the president Yoon Suk Yeolafter the impeached leader ignored repeated calls to testify about his declaration of martial law.
A joint investigation team submitted the request to a court in Seoul, a day after Yoon failed to appear at a third summons for testimony scheduled by the Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials. Previous convocations took place on December 18 and Christmas Day.
South Korea faces one of its most turbulent periods in years following Yoon’s brief imposition of martial law on Dec. 3, which led to his impeachment and then that of Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who took office. briefly as interim leader. The political chaos is compounded by the country’s worst civilian plane crash, which left just two survivors among the 181 on board.
A court will determine whether to issue the arrest warrant for Yoon, although it is unclear when the decision will be made. If approved, Yoon would be the first sitting president in the country’s history to be arrested while still in office.
Yoon’s lawyer submitted a statement to the court claiming that the investigation team has no legal basis to seek a warrant against the president. When asked by journalists on Monday who should lead the investigation, the lawyer declined to comment.
Even if the court grants the warrant, it is not guaranteed that investigators will be able to arrest the president. A previous attempt by police to search the presidential office was blocked by Yoon’s own office.
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Yoon’s decision to avoid questioning and challenge investigators’ authority appears aimed at delaying the progress of the case against him, said Lee Chang-hyun, a law professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
Yoon vowed to continue defending himself, indicating his intention to fight in court to remain in office and insisting that his declaration of martial law was within his constitutional powers. At the same time, a trial is underway to decide whether Yoon will be reinstated or permanently removed from office. The court has until June to make a decision, and the next hearing is scheduled for January 3.
The South Korean won initially fell on Monday after the fatal plane crash, but rose 0.2% against the dollar to 1,468.05, boosted by gains in local stocks and promises from authorities to stabilize markets.
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Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who took over as acting president on Friday following Han’s impeachment, faces a major test just two days after taking office. Choi declared a week-long mourning period until Jan. 4 after the plane crash, called for a rigorous investigation into the incident and ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country’s entire air system.
Han was impeached for refusing to meet the opposition party’s demand to immediately nominate three judges to vacancies on the Constitutional Court, which could increase the chances of Yoon’s impeachment confirmation. Citigroup Inc. expects Choi to quickly fill those positions to reduce uncertainty, the bank said in a report on Monday.
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