AUTHORITIES in South Korea issued warrants today to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and search his office and residence over allegations of rebellion in connection with his short-lived declaration of martial law.
It’s the first time a warrant has been issued to detain a sitting South Korean president.
The Seoul Western District Court issued warrants to detain Mr Yoon and to search the presidential office and residence in central Seoul, according to a statement from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities.
The agency says it has been investigating whether Mr Yoon’s December 3 declaration amounted to rebellion.
Under South Korean law, the leader of a rebellion can face the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted.
Mr Yoon has presidential immunity from most criminal prosecutions, but the privilege does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.
Mr Yoon’s powers have been suspended since the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach him on December 14 over his imposition of martial law, during which hundreds of troops and police officers were deployed at the assembly.
Experts say Mr Yoon is likely to ignore the warrants.
The impeached president has already dodged repeated requests by investigative authorities to appear for questioning, and the presidential security service has blocked attempts to search his office and residence, citing a law that bans raids on sites with state secrets.
Yoon Kap-keun, a lawyer for the president, called the detainment warrant invalid and illegal, saying the anti-corruption agency lacks legal authority to investigate rebellion charges.
The presidential security service has also made it clear that it will provide security to Mr Yoon in accordance with the law.
“Unless Mr Yoon voluntarily lets them detain him, there is no way to detain him,” said Choi Jin, director of the Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership. “Should investigators have hand-to-hand fights with the security service?”
