South Korean Court issues arrest for President Yoon

A court in South Korea has issued a warrant Tuesday for the arrest of the country's president, Yoon Suk Yeol, and for the raid on his residence and office, on allegations of uprisings over short-lived military law declaration.

This is the first time it has been issued, there is an arrest for a acting president in South Korea. However, experts say there is little chance of arrest or raiding if Yoon is not first dismissed.

The District Court in Seoul issued orders for Yoon's arrest and for the raid on his presidential office and residence in central Seoul, according to a communique from the Office for Investigation of Corruption for High Officials, which is leading the investigation with police and military authorities.

She says she is conducting an investigation to see if the declaration of military law by Yoon on 3 December constitutes uprising.

Under South Korean law, the leader of a uprising could face the death penalty or life sentence if convicted.

The uprising is one of the charges against which the South Korean president has no immunity.

Yoon was suspended from all presidential duties after being dismissed from Parliament because he temporarily introduced military law in the country.

Military law lasted only a few hours after Parliament voted to bring it down and Yoon withdrew.

Under the law, the president in South Korea is allowed to declare military law only during wartime, or similar emergencies, and has no right to suspend the work of parliament even by military law.

Yoon has insisted that the declaration of military law by him was legal, calling it a warning to the main opposition party, the Democratic Party, which he called “ejective “, saying it has used its legislative majority to bring down top officials and undermine the Government budget.

The South Korean Constitutional Court is expected to decide on Yoon's dismissal or return to office.

Experts said Yoon would probably ignore the arrest. Yoon has already ignored the ongoing requests by investigators for questioning, while the presidential security service has not allowed them to control either Yoon's office or residence, calling on the law banning raids in places where there are state secrets.

Yoon Kapkeun, the president's lawyer, called the arrest of “invalid and illegal”.

The presidential security service has said it will provide Yoon security in accordance with the law.

The anti-corruption agency has said there are no immediate plans on how to implement warrants for arrest and raiding it.

If Yoon doesn't want to arrest him, there's no way they can arrest him, said Choi Jin, director of the Institute for Presidency Leadership in Seoul. / REL/