South Korea investigators seek extension of arrest warrant for president
South Korea?s investigating authorities have requested an extension of a warrant to arrest the country?s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol.
The corruption investigation office for high-ranking officials (CIO) made the application at Seoul western district court on Monday.
On Friday the CIO had failed again to serve an arrest warrant on Yoon over his declaration of martial law on 3 December 2024 after presidential security service guards formed a human chain to prevent access to him.
The arrest warrant, the first for a sitting president, was due to expire at midnight on Monday (1500 GMT).
Yoon is under criminal investigation for possible insurrection over his brief, six-hour martial law declaration, which plunged one of Asia?s strongest democracies into uncharted territory.
Yoon?s actions drew a rare rebuke from officials in Washington, including the US secretary of state Antony Blinken?s deputy, Kurt Campbell, who has said it was ?badly misjudged?.
Speaking after his meeting with the South Korean foreign minister, Cho Tae-yul, Blinken said Washington had expressed ?serious concerns? to Seoul over some of the actions Yoon took over the course of his martial law declaration.
Yoon was impeached by parliament on 14 December and suspended from presidential duties. The constitutional court is trying the case to decide whether to remove him from office permanently or reinstate him.
The CIO, which is leading the criminal insurrection investigation into Yoon, has sent a notice to police requesting them to take over execution of the arrest warrant. A police official said at a news briefing that police believed there was a legal dispute over such a transfer and would discuss it with the CIO.
Yonhap news cited a police official as saying the arrest warrant would now be executed under the authority of the police joint investigation team and the CIO.
Yoon?s lawyers have argued that the CIO anti-graft force has no authority under South Korean law to investigate any case involving insurrection accusations.
On Monday, Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer advising Yoon, said the attempt to transfer the execution of the arrest warrant was effectively an admission by the CIO that its investigation and the warrant were ?illegal?.
The unprecedented attempt to arrest an incumbent president has intensified duelling rallies by those supporting Yoon, with the ?Stop the Steal? slogans popularised by Donald Trump voters, and those calling for Yoon?s punishment.
On Monday, a group of hardcore Yoon supporters led by a Christian pastor, Jun Kwang-hoon, held a news conference and described the fight for the impeached leader as an ?international battle? for freedom.
?Sadly, there?s no Fox News in Korea,? it said in a statement, referring to the US cable news channel popular with Trump supporters.
Jun said Yoon supporters would continue rallies outside his residence until they ?reap the results?.
