South Korean Court Issues Warrant To Detain Impeached President Yoon | rssama.com

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean tribunal issued warrants Tuesday to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol and hunt his agency and residence complete allegations of rebellion successful relationship pinch his short-lived declaration of martial law.

It’s nan first clip a warrant has been issued to detain a sitting South Korean president. But experts opportunity location is small chance of detention aliases searches unless Yoon is formally removed from office.

The Seoul Western District Court issued warrants to detain Yoon and to hunt nan statesmanlike agency and residence successful cardinal Seoul, according to a connection from nan Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is starring a associated investigation pinch constabulary and subject authorities.

The agency says it’s been investigating whether Yoon’s Dec. 3 declaration amounted to rebellion.

Under South Korean law, nan leader of a rebellion tin look nan decease punishment aliases life imprisonment if convicted. Yoon has statesmanlike immunity from astir criminal prosecutions, but nan privilege does not widen to allegations of rebellion aliases treason.

Yoon’s powers person been suspended since nan opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach him connected Dec. 14 complete his imposition of martial law, during which hundreds of troops and constabulary officers were deployed astatine nan assembly. By law, a president successful South Korea is allowed to state martial rule only during wartime aliases akin emergencies and has nary correct to suspend parliament’s operations moreover nether martial law.

Protesters transportation a caricature of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a rally demanding his apprehension successful Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. The sign, front, reads, "Rebellion leader."

AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon

Yoon has based on his decree was a morganatic enactment of governance, calling it a informing to nan main wide guidance Democratic Party — which he has called “a monster” and “anti-state forces” — that has utilized its legislative mostly to impeach apical officials, undermine nan government’s budget, and which he claims sympathizes pinch North Korea.

The Constitutional Court is to find whether to disregard Yoon arsenic president aliases reinstate him.

Experts said Yoon is apt to disregard nan warrants. He’s already dodged repeated requests by investigative authorities to look for questioning, and nan statesmanlike information work has blocked attempts to hunt his agency and residence citing a rule that bans raids connected sites pinch authorities secrets.

Yoon Kap-keun, a lawyer for nan president, called nan detainment warrant “invalid” and “illegal,” saying nan anti-corruption agency lacks ineligible authority to analyse rebellion charges. The statesmanlike information work said it will supply information to Yoon successful accordance pinch nan law.

The anti-corruption agency said it has nary contiguous plans connected erstwhile it would proceed pinch nan warrants.

“Unless Yoon voluntarily lets them detain him, location is nary measurement to detain him,” said Choi Jin, head of nan Seoul-based Institute of Presidential Leadership. “Should investigators person hand-to-hand fights pinch nan information service?”

Choi said that investigators were still apt to sojourn Yoon’s residence to show they are strictly and reasonably carrying retired their work.

Park Sung-min, president of Seoul-based governmental consulting patient MIN Consulting, said nan push for an apprehension warrant is apt an effort to unit Yoon to cooperate pinch investigations.

Former President Park Geun-hye, who was thrown retired of agency successful 2017 pursuing an impeachment complete a corruption scandal, besides refused to meet pinch prosecutors while successful office. She underwent questioning by them and was arrested aft nan Constitutional Court removed her from office.

Yoon’s imposition of martial rule lasted only six hours but triggered immense governmental turmoil, halting high-level diplomacy and rattling financial markets. Despite Yoon’s deployment of troops and police, capable lawmakers managed to participate nan assembly enclosure to overturn it unanimously.

Yoon’s defense minister, constabulary main and respective apical subject commanders person already been arrested complete their roles successful nan martial rule enactment.

Yoon has claimed he wasn’t trying to extremity nan functioning of nan assembly, saying that nan troops were sent to support order, and besides denied readying to apprehension politicians. But comments by now-arrested commanders of subject units sent to nan assembly person contradicted this claim.

Kwak Jong-keun, nan commandant of nan Army Special Warfare Command, testified astatine nan National Assembly that Yoon called connected troops to “quickly sound down nan doorway and resistance retired nan lawmakers who are inside.” Kwak said he did not transportation retired Yoon’s orders.

The country’s governmental situation deepened past Friday, erstwhile nan Democratic Party and different mini guidance parties voted to impeach acting President Han Duck-soo arsenic good complete wrangling complete his refusal to capable successful 3 justness seats astatine nan nine-member Constitutional Court. Observers opportunity adding much justices could summation prospects for nan court’s endorsement of Yoon’s impeachment arsenic that requires support from astatine slightest six justices.

The lawman premier curate and finance minister, Choi Sang-mok, has go South Korea’s caller interim leader. On Tuesday, Choi appointed 2 caller justices, saying he feels nan urgency to resoluteness governmental uncertainty and nationalist divide.

Choi’s moves drew rebukes from some nan ruling and guidance parties. The governing People Power Party accused him of surrendering to nan opposition’s governmental offensive, while nan main wide guidance Democratic Party urged Choi to quickly name nan remaining ninth justice.

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