South Korean investigators seek extension of arrest warrant for president | South Korea

South Korean investigative authorities have requested an extension of the arrest warrant for the country’s deposed president, Yoon Suk Yeol.

The Corruption Investigation Office of Senior Officials (CIO) filed an application with the Seoul West District Court on Monday.

As of Friday, the IOC has yet to issue an arrest warrant for Yoon following his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, after presidential security guards formed a human chain to prevent access to him. .

The arrest warrant, the first against a sitting president, was due to expire at midnight (1500 GMT) on Monday.

Yoon is under criminal investigation for possible insurrection following his brief declaration of six-hour martial law, which plunged one of Asia’s strongest democracies into uncharted territory.

Yoon’s actions drew rare rebukes from officials in Washington, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s deputy, Kurt Campbell, who said they were “severely misjudged.”

Speaking after his meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, Blinken said Washington had expressed “serious concerns” to Seoul over some of the actions Yoon took during his declaration of the law martial.

Yoon was impeached by Parliament on December 14 and suspended from his presidential duties. The Constitutional Court is examining the case to decide whether to permanently remove him from office or reinstate him.

The IOC, which is leading the criminal investigation into the insurrection against Yoon, sent a notice to police asking them to take over execution of the arrest warrant. A police official told a news conference that police believed there was a legal dispute over such a transfer and would discuss it with the IOC.

According to Yonhap, a police official said the arrest warrant would now be executed under the authority of the joint investigation team of the police and the IOC.

Yoon’s lawyers have argued that the IOC’s anti-corruption force has no authority under South Korean law to investigate any cases involving accusations of insurrection.

On Monday, Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer advising Yoon, said the attempt to transfer the execution of the arrest warrant was in effect an admission by the IOC that its investigation and the warrant were “illegal.”

The unprecedented attempt to stop an outgoing president has intensified dueling rallies between those who support Yoon, with “Stop the Steal” slogans popularized by Donald Trump voters, and those who call for Yoon’s punishment.

On Monday, a group of die-hard Yoon supporters led by a Christian pastor, Jun Kwang-hoon, held a news conference and described the fight for the deposed leader as an “international battle” for freedom.

“Unfortunately, there is no Fox News in Korea,” he said in a statement, referring to the U.S. cable news channel popular with Trump supporters.

Jun said Yoon’s supporters would continue their rallies outside his residence until they “reap the results.”