South Korean court issues formal arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol

Early on January 19 local time, the Seoul Western District Court of South Korea issued a formal arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in connection with his controversial declaration of martial law earlier last month.

The arrest warrant for Yoon Suk Yeol was issued on charges of inciting a rebellion and abuse of power by declaring martial law on December 3, 2024, as well as sending troops to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting to lift martial law.

With the formal arrest warrant issued, investigators could extend Mr. Yoon’s detention for up to 20 days, including the time he has been held since January 15.

The Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO) plans to transfer Yoon's detention to the prosecution within 10 days.

The prosecutor's office then plans to expand the investigation and indict Mr. Yoon before the 20-day detention period ends.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Yoon attended a hearing to decide on his detention order on January 15.

During the trial, which ran from 2:00 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. local time, President Yoon Suk Yeol presented his arguments for 40 minutes and spoke for the final five minutes before the trial ended.

Notably, nearly 45,000 people gathered outside the court to show support for Mr. Yoon. Some minor scuffles broke out between Mr. Yoon's supporters and security forces.

The South Korean court's issuance of a formal arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to have a significant impact on the impeachment process of this leader as the Constitutional Court is considering whether to remove him from office based on the National Assembly's impeachment decision or reinstate the 64-year-old politician.