South Korean court issues impeachment warrant for President Yun

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol could become the country’s first sitting president to face arrest after a court issued a warrant for him, domestic media reported.

The Seoul Western District Court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon, Korea Times reported after he did not appear for questioningdespite numerous calls from the Joint Investigation Unit, which consists of South Korea’s police and the Office of Corruption Investigation for high-ranking officials.

The warrant authorizes the IT director to take Yoon into custody for questioning within 48 hours.

Yun’s legal team said it plans to file an injunction with the Constitutional Court to stop the warrant, according to Google Translate Yonhap report in Korean. Yoon’s legal representative said the warrant was “illegal and void” because the investigation into the sedition charges was outside the CIO’s jurisdiction.

A separate warrant authorizes the IT director to search Yoon’s residence. Citing security, the Presidential Security Service blocked access to the presidential office building and Yun’s official residence, the news agency reported. Yonhap.

South Korean presidents are not immune from charges of rebellion or treason. Moreover, according to Chief IT Director Oh Dong Woon, the president is prohibited from interfering with the execution of a court-issued detention or arrest warrant.

Yoon faces charges related to him declaration on the introduction of martial law on December 3, which he justified as necessary to protect the constitution. He lifted martial law six hours after the country’s National Assembly voted to reverse his decree.

Yoon was impeached by lawmakers on Dec. 14, and members of his People’s Power Party voted to impeach him. Earlier there was a vote failed achieve a two-thirds majority.

South Korea’s Constitutional Court has begun proceedings to remove or reinstate Yoon, reports say Yonhap. He will issue his ruling within 180 days, starting on December 14.

While the impeachment removes Yun from his duties and powers as head of state, he remains president while the Constitutional Court hears his case.

After Yun’s impeachment, Prime Minister Han Dak-soo assumed the presidency.

However, so was Khan impeachment last week. The opposition Democratic Party accused him of not wanting to immediately appoint three judges of the Constitutional Court.

Chyo Sang-mok, vice prime minister and finance minister, became acting president on December 27 after Khan’s impeachment.

— CNBC’s Ruxandra Iordache and Hakyung Kim contributed to this report.

Correction: An earlier version of this report misspelled the name of the president of South Korea.