South Korean investigators seek arrest warrant for impeached president in martial law probe
It is not clear if Yoon Suk Yeol can be compelled to appear for questioning
South Korean law enforcement officials have requested a court warrant to detain impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol as they investigate whether his short-lived martial law decree this month amounted to rebellion.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities into the power grab that lasted only a few hours, confirmed it requested the warrant on Monday.
Investigators plan to question Mr Yoon on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion.
Mr Yoon has dodged several requests by the joint investigation team and public prosecutors to appear for questioning and has also blocked searches of his offices.
It’s not clear whether the court will grant the warrant or whether Mr Yoon can be compelled to appear for questioning.
Under the country’s laws, locations potentially linked to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without the consent of the person in charge, and it’s unlikely that Mr Yoon will voluntarily leave his residence if he faces detainment.