A South Korean court has approved a detention warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who faces insurrection charges over his attempt to impose martial law in December.
The Seoul Western District Court issued the warrant on Tuesday, marking the first time a sitting South Korean president has faced arrest, according to local media.
Yoon was impeached in mid-December, suspending his presidential powers while the Constitutional Court reviews the case.
In addition to impeachment, Yoon is being investigated for insurrection and abuse of power by a joint government investigation team.
Yoon ignored three separate summonses to appear for questioning as part of that investigation, leading the court to issue Tuesday’s warrant.
Once Yoon is taken into custody, authorities will have 48 hours to decide whether to file for an arrest warrant or to release him, reported the Yonhap news agency.
In a statement, Yoon’s lawyers called the warrant “illegal” and said they would file an injunction at the country’s Constitutional Court to stop it.
Yoon’s legal team has refused to cooperate with the investigation, arguing that the impeachment trial should take priority over any criminal proceedings.
The arrest warrant is valid until next Monday. But it is not clear when any arrest attempt will be made or how aggressive authorities will be in attempting to execute the warrant.
The Presidential Security Service has so far prevented investigators from entering the presidential office compound or Yoon’s official residence for court-approved searches, citing security and military considerations.
Political pressure, however, is building for Yoon to comply with investigators.
In an editorial Tuesday, the Chosun Ilbo, an influential conservative daily, said Yoon has “no legal means” to block the enforcement of an arrest warrant.
“Blocking its execution would itself violate the law and could lead to a physical confrontation,” read the editorial, which urged Yoon to face the investigation “with dignity.”
Meanwhile, the acting head of South Korea’s ruling conservative People Power Party on Tuesday called the detention warrant “extremely regrettable.”
South Korean presidents are generally immune from prosecution while in office, except for cases involving rebellion or treason.
Yoon declared martial law on December 3 — the first such decree since South Korea became a democracy in the 1980s — but lawmakers overturned the order within hours.
Yoon has said the declaration was necessary to send a “strong message” to his rivals, whom he accused of being North Korea sympathizers obstructing his agenda.
His opponents accuse Yoon of attempting to restore South Korea’s military dictatorship, and say it is necessary to formally remove him from office as soon as possible.
The path forward, however, remains uncertain. The Constitutional Court has 180 days to rule on Yoon’s removal, but with three judicial seats vacant, all six remaining justices must unanimously agree to uphold the impeachment.
Efforts to appoint new judges have stalled, with the opposition threatening to impeach successive acting presidents who refuse to approve them, fueling fears of a prolonged political deadlock that has already hurt South Korea’s economy.
Last week, the value of the South Korean won hit a 16-year low against the U.S. dollar, raising concerns about higher energy import costs and increased consumer prices.
