Suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been issued an arrest warrant. The Seoul Western District Court issued the warrant against President Yoon on Tuesday.
According to local media, this is the first time in South Korea that an arrest warrant has been issued against a sitting president.
He faced controversy after deciding to impose military rule on December 3. Following opposition from political parties, he withdrew the decision within six hours. After this incident, the parliament passed an impeachment motion, leading to his suspension from office.
The matter is currently under review by the Constitutional Court. Under South Korean law, the final decision on whether to remove a president from office following impeachment rests with the Constitutional Court.
Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office had summoned President Yoon three times regarding his actions. However, as he failed to appear, the investigation was hindered, prompting officials to request an arrest warrant against him on Monday. In South Korea, the Seoul Western District Court issues arrest warrants when corruption investigations involve high-ranking officials.
The Joint Investigation Headquarters issued a statement on Tuesday morning confirming that an arrest warrant and a search warrant had been issued for the suspended president for further investigation.