South Korea’s anti-corruption agency announced on Monday that it has transferred the execution of an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol to the police, as the warrant is set to expire.
Yoon is under criminal investigation for insurrection following his December 3 martial law declaration, which shocked the nation and led to his impeachment. The arrest warrant was issued after he failed to appear for questioning multiple times.
The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on December 14 last year and delivered to the Constitutional Court for deliberation of up to 180 days, during which Yoon’s presidential powers are suspended.
Last week, presidential guards and military forces prevented authorities from arresting Yoon during a tense six-hour standoff inside his compound in central Seoul.
With the court-ordered warrant set to expire on Monday, officials from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) for High-ranking Officials, which is investigating Yoon’s martial law declaration, may attempt another arrest before the deadline.
According to local media YTN, the anti-corruption agency plans to request an extension of the execution period for Yoon’s arrest warrant on Monday.
Yoon’s lawyers have consistently argued that the warrant is “unlawful” and “illegal,” pledging to pursue further legal action against it.
The nation watches closely as the deadline approaches, with uncertainty surrounding the potential arrest of the impeached president and its implications for South Korea’s political landscape.
