An effigy of South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is seen in a mock prison as protesters take part in a rally calling for Yoon's ouster in front of the Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on December 21, 2024. Jung Yeon-je, AFP

An effigy of South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is seen in a mock prison as protesters take part in a rally calling for Yoon's ouster in front of the Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on December 21, 2024. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)

South Korea'

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1735608721937AFP__20241221__36R29WN__v1__Preview__SkoreaPoliticsUnrest.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="An effigy of South Korea&#x27;s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is seen in a mock prison as protesters take part in a rally calling for Yoon&#x27;s ouster in front of the Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on December 21, 2024. Jung Yeon-je, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">An effigy of South Korea&#x27;s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is seen in a mock prison as protesters take part in a rally calling for Yoon&#x27;s ouster in front of the Gwanghwamun Gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul on December 21, 2024. <em>Jung Yeon-je, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>SEOUL, South Korea (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) -- A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached, suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, investigators said Tuesday, over his short-lived bid to impose martial law on the country.</p><p>Yoon briefly suspended civilian rule this month, plunging South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.</p><p>He was stripped of his presidential duties by parliament over the action, but a constitutional court ruling is pending on whether to confirm the impeachment.</p><p>&quot;The arrest warrant and search warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, requested by the Joint Investigation Headquarters, were issued this morning,&quot; the Joint Investigation Headquarters said in a statement.</p><p>The conservative leader faces criminal charges of insurrection, which could result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty.</p><p>Investigators probing Yoon over his declaration of martial law requested the warrant Monday after the suspended president failed to report for questioning a third time.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/25/impeached-south-korean-president-defies-christmas-summons-1245">READ: Impeached South Korean president defies Christmas summons</a></div><p>&quot;The reason for the warrant is that there is a concern that the individual may refuse to comply with summons without justifiable reasons, and there is sufficient probable cause to suspect the commission of a crime,&quot; a Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) official told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday.</p><p>&quot;The warrant is valid until January 6,&quot; the official said, adding that Yoon could be held at a police station or the Seoul detention center.</p><p>Yoon&#x27;s lawyer called the arrest warrant for the impeached president &quot;illegal and invalid&quot;, saying investigators lacked the authority to probe the president.</p><p>&quot;The arrest warrant and search and seizure warrant issued at the request of an agency without investigative authority are illegal and invalid,&quot; a statement sent to AFP by lawyer Yoon Kab-keun said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/20/south-korea-probe-team-issues-christmas-day-summons-for-yoon-1058">READ: South Korea probe team issues Christmas Day summons for Yoon</a></div><div><strong>- Arrest? -</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3hX5h5iaQ6M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></div><p>Even though the warrant has been issued, it is unclear whether investigators and police will be able to execute it.</p><p>The Presidential Security Service has previously refused to comply with three search warrants.</p><p>It said Tuesday that &quot;security measures regarding the execution of the warrant will be carried out in accordance with lawful procedures,&quot; in a statement to local media.</p><p>But lawyer Yun Bok-nam, president of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, told AFP that while there was a legal basis for rejecting a search warrant &quot;there&#x27;s no such provision for arrest warrants&quot;.</p><p>&quot;I expect the (arrest) process will proceed smoothly,&quot; he said, adding that warrants were typically valid seven days and had to be executed within that time frame.</p><p>Police were deployed early Tuesday outside Yoon&#x27;s residence in central Seoul, in a likely bid to head off scuffles.</p><p>Yoon&#x27;s supporters and protesters calling for his removal have both staked out his residence, with local media running images of altercations between the two camps overnight.</p><p>&quot;Up to 3,000 people will move to protest against the unfair and invalid arrest warrant,&quot; said an official from the largest protest group supporting Yoon.</p><p>Local media reported than an imminent arrest or search of the presidential residence was unlikely, as investigators would seek to coordinate with the presidential security service.</p><p>Technically, anyone obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant could be arrested.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/14/south-korean-lawmakers-impeach-president-yoon-over-martial-law-bid-1611">READ: South Korean lawmakers impeach President Yoon over martial law bid</a></div><div><strong>- Joint probe -</strong></div><p>Yoon is being investigated by prosecutors as well as a joint team comprising police, defense ministry, and anti-corruption officials.</p><p>A 10-page prosecutors&#x27; report seen by AFP stated that Yoon authorized the military to fire weapons if needed to enter parliament during his failed martial law bid.</p><p>Yoon&#x27;s lawyer had previously dismissed the prosecutors&#x27; report, telling AFP it was &quot;a one-sided account that neither corresponds to objective circumstances nor common sense&quot;.</p><p>Yoon declared martial law in an unannounced televised address on December 3, saying it was aimed at eliminating &quot;anti-state elements&quot;.</p><p>Lawmakers rushed to parliament within minutes of the declaration to vote it down.</p><p>At the same time, heavily armed troops stormed the building, scaling fences, smashing windows and landing by helicopter.</p><p>According to the prosecution indictment report, Yoon told the chief of the capital defense command, Lee Jin-woo, that military forces could shoot if necessary to enter the National Assembly.</p><p>The report also said there was evidence that Yoon had been discussing declaring martial law with senior military officials as early as March.</p><p>South Korea&#x27;s political turmoil deepened late last week when Yoon&#x27;s replacement, Han Duck-soo, was also impeached by parliament for failing to sign through bills for investigations into Yoon.</p><p>Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has taken over as the new acting president, and found himself thrust immediately into a disaster with the <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/30/what-caused-south-koreas-most-deadly-plane-crash-1647">Jeju Air plane crash Sunday that claimed 179 lives</a>.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached, suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, investigators said Tuesday, over his short-lived bid to impose martial law on the country.</p>

A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached, suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, investigators said Tuesday, over his short-lived bid to impose martial law on the country.

S. Korea court issues arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon | ABS-CBN

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S. Korea court issues arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon

S. Korea court issues arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon

Agence France-Presse,

Hieun Shin and Cat Barton

Published Dec 31, 2024 09:33 AM PHT

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Updated Dec 31, 2024 10:47 AM PHT

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