A South Korean Court Approves Request to Detain Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol
In a historic move, a South Korean court on Tuesday granted a request to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, marking the first time a sitting president of the country has faced arrest. The move comes as Yoon is being investigated into his declaration of martial law, which was met with widespread criticism and resistance.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) had requested the detention warrant, citing concerns that Yoon may not respond to summons without a justifiable reason and that there is substantial reason to suspect him of a crime. The court approved the warrant, which is valid until January 6th, allowing investigators 48 hours to hold Yoon after his arrest. If the court decides to continue the investigation, it will have to request a detention warrant, and Yoon could be held at the Seoul Detention Center.
Yoon’s legal team has criticized the decision, with his lawyer Yoon Kab-keun calling the arrest warrant “invalid” because the CIO does not have the authority to request it. The team plans to file an injunction at the Constitutional Court to stop the warrant.
The development comes as South Korea is embroiled in a political crisis, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok also facing impeachment proceedings. The country is still reeling from the crash of a plane that killed 179 people on Sunday, an incident that has raised concerns about the safety of air travel in the country.
The investigation into Yoon’s martial law decree is ongoing, and several top defense officials have already been indicted, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Yeo In-hyung, and Lee Jin-woo. The court has also approved a search warrant for Yoon’s residence, and police have raided the army’s counter-intelligence offices as part of the probe.
The development has sparked widespread protests, with hundreds of Yoon supporters gathering outside his residence on Tuesday to protest against the warrant. The controversy has also raised concerns about the stability of the country’s government, which is facing internal divisions and external pressures.