South Korean police consider requesting arrest warrant, searching President Yoon's home

South Korean police are considering seeking an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, a member of the National Office of Investigation's special investigation team said, after Yoon was named a suspect by police, prosecutors and anti-corruption agencies in an investigation into the December 3 declaration of martial law.

Police load boxes of documents seized from the presidential office onto a vehicle outside the complex in central Seoul, South Korea. (Photo: Yonhap News)

The official also said they were considering a search and seizure at Mr. Yoon’s residence. They could seek a warrant to seize his communications records or subpoena him for questioning.

On December 11, police officers attempted to enter the presidential residence to search for documents related to the martial law decree, but security agencies refused to cooperate, and police were only provided with a limited number of documents.

The official added that the investigation team is considering whether they can search again with the same warrant or need to get a new one. Search and arrest warrants are usually valid for a week or a certain period of time after they are issued.

In a public speech on December 12, Mr. Yoon rejected the accusations of rebellion and said that his issuance of martial law was an administrative act, pledging to fight until the "last moment."

In another development, police said they seized a mobile phone used by former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun during a raid on the Defense Ministry headquarters on December 12. The phone was taken by investigators to the presidential office complex and is considered evidence related to President Yoon Suk-yeol's brief declaration of martial law last week.

According to investigators, President Yoon and Minister Kim are believed to have used this phone to relay orders to commanders on the front lines for six hours, when martial law was in effect from the evening of December 3 to the early morning of December 4.

Phuong Anh (Source: Yonhap News)

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