South Korea issues arrest warrant for suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol

The arrest warrant was issued after suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol failed to report for questioning a third time.

An arrest warrant has been issued for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Picture; AFP.

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.

“The arrest warrant and search warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, requested by the Joint Investigation Headquarters, were issued this morning,” the Joint Investigation Headquarters said in a statement.

“No schedule has been set for future proceedings,” it added. Investigators probing Mr Yoon over his declaration of martial law requested the warrant Monday after the suspended president failed to report for questioning a third time.

Mr Yoon briefly suspended civilian rule this month, plunging South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.

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.

The conservative leader also faces criminal charges of insurrection, which could result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

The warrant was issued about 33 hours after it was requested -- which local media claim is the “longest time in history for a warrant hearing”, indicating the court was debating how to proceed.

Even though the warrant has been issued, it is unclear whether investigators and police will be able to execute it.

The Presidential Security Service has previously refused to comply with three search warrants.

Police were deployed early Tuesday outside Mr Yoon’s residence in central Seoul, in a likely bid to head off scuffles.

Mr Yoon’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.

Local media reported than an imminent arrest or search of the presidential residence was unlikely, as investigators would probably seek to coordinate with the presidential security service.

Technically, anyone obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant could be arrested.

Mr Yoon is being investigated by prosecutors as well as a joint team comprising police, defence ministry, and anti-corruption officials.

A 10-page prosecutors’ report seen by AFP stated that Mr Yoon authorised the military to fire weapons if needed to enter parliament during his failed martial law bid.

Mr Yoon’s lawyer Yoon Kab-keun had dismissed the prosecutors’ report, telling AFP it was “a one-sided account that neither corresponds to objective circumstances nor common sense”.

Mr Yoon declared martial law in an unannounced televised address on December 3, saying it was aimed at eliminating “anti-state elements”.

Politicians rushed to parliament within minutes of the declaration to vote it down.

At the same time, heavily armed troops stormed the building, scaling fences, smashing windows and landing by helicopter.

According to the prosecution indictment report, Mr Yoon told the chief of the capital defence command, Lee Jin-woo, that military forces could shoot if necessary to enter the National Assembly.

The report also said there was evidence that Mr Yoon had been discussing declaring martial law with senior military officials as early as March.

South Korea’s political turmoil deepened late last week when Mr Yoon’s replacement, Han Duck-soo, was also impeached by parliament for failing to sign through bills for investigations into Mr Yoon.

Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has taken over as the new acting president, and found himself thrust immediately into a disaster with the Jeju Air plane crash Sunday that claimed 179 lives.

AFP