A joint investigation team announced this Monday that it has requested an arrest warrant against South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for his declaration of martial law. on December 3 after the president ignored three summonses to be questioned about it.
The announcement represents the first time in the democratic history of the Asian country in which a president, still in office, faces the possibility of being arrested.
on December 14 by the National Assembly (Parliament)which has momentarily stripped him of his functions until the Constitutional Court decides between now and June whether to restore his powers or permanently disqualify him.
Insurrection and abuse of power
The arrest request was filed around 00:00 local time (15:00 GMT Sunday) before a court in the Western District of Seoul, as representatives of the aforementioned investigation team, which includes the anti-corruption office, the police and the investigation unit of the Ministry of National Defense, have explained to the media.
The petition alleges that Yoon led a insurrection and abuse of office by declaring a state of emergency on December 3 and allegedly ordering the Army to prevent Parliament deputies from voting against his decision to revoke it.
The parliamentarians finally managed vote against martial lawapparently thanks in part to the refusal of middle military commanders to follow orders, forcing the president to rescind the state of emergency a few hours after decreeing it.
Yoon has denied the allegations, arguing that his declaration of martial law was an “act of governance.” which sought to warn the opposition, which has a majority in Parliament, against what it has described as an abuse of legislative power that seeks to undermine the State and support the North Korean regime, with whom the South is technically at war.
