Detention warrant issued for Yoon over martial law, 1st issuance for sitting president

A Seoul court on Tuesday issued a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched martial law imposition, making him the first sitting South Korean president to face arrest, Yonhap reports. 

The Seoul Western District Court approved a request from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) to issue the warrant against Yoon on charges of masterminding the botched Dec. 3 martial law declaration, orchestrating the insurrection and abusing power, according to sources.

The court also approved a warrant to search Yoon's presidential residence in Seoul's Yongsan in connection with the investigation.

The CIO filed for the detention warrant after Yoon ignored all three summonses to appear for questioning over the short-lived martial law invocation.

CIO officials are expected to visit Yoon's residence soon to execute the warrant. A detainment warrant is typically valid for a week.

Once Yoon is taken into custody, the CIO is required to decide within 48 hours whether to file for an arrest warrant to detain him further for questioning or release him.

In issuing the warrants, the court rejected Yoon's claims that the CIO lacks jurisdiction over insurrection cases and that the warrant request was therefore illegal.

The court also dismissed Yoon's claims that he couldn't attend questioning sessions because arrangements for his personal safety and security detail, as the president, had not been made.

However, it remains unclear whether the CIO can detain Yoon, as the Presidential Security Service has blocked investigators from entering both the presidential office compound and Yoon's official residence to carry out recent court-approved searches, citing military security concerns.

Shortly after the court issued the warrant to detain Yoon, the Presidential Security Service said it would take measures to handle the warrant in accordance with legal process.

Although Yoon has presidential immunity from criminal prosecution, by law, the privilege does not extend to insurrection or treason charges.

Earlier it was reported, Yoon defies joint investigation team's summons for 2nd time over martial law probe.