Historical developments in Korean politics

A South Korean court yesterday approved a temporary detention order for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol in connection with the declaration of martial law nearly a month ago.

Arrest Warrant Controversy

This is the first time in history that a sitting South Korean president has faced a detention order, according to Yonhap News Agency. Mr. Yoon Suk Yeol was suspended from office after the National Assembly voted to impeach him on December 14, 2024, over the declaration of martial law that was deemed unconstitutional on December 3, 2024. The Corruption Investigation Office of Senior Officials (CIO) requested the detention order after Mr. Yoon failed to comply with three previous summonses for questioning.

Mr. Yoon is accused of masterminding the declaration of martial law, staging a rebellion and abuse of power. In addition to the detention order, the Seoul court also approved a search warrant for Mr. Yoon’s residence in Seoul’s Yongsan District.

South Korean court issues arrest warrant for President Yoon

Yoon's lawyer Yun Gap-geun said at a press conference yesterday that the court's orders were "illegal and invalid" because the CIO had no authority to investigate the sedition charges. Yoon's defense team will file a petition asking the Constitutional Court to suspend the orders and review their constitutionality. According to media reports, the court's detention order is valid for seven days and allows investigators to hold Yoon for 48 hours from the time of his arrest. After that, investigators must either apply for another arrest warrant or release Yoon.

Protesters protest against the court's detention order outside the residence of Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul on December 31, 2024.

Whether Mr. Yoon is arrested or not depends on the Presidential Security Service (PSS), which has previously cited security reasons to prevent investigators from searching Mr. Yoon’s office and residence under a court-approved warrant. Yesterday, shortly after the court approved the detention order, the PSS announced that it would handle the arrest warrant according to legal procedures. CIO Director Oh Dong-woon said that a court-issued detention order cannot be legally blocked, even if the president is the one protesting. If arrested, Mr. Yoon will be detained at the Seoul Detention Center.

Presidential Pledge

In connection with the investigation into the declaration of martial law, the prosecution has indicted three senior officials, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and two military commanders, on charges of rebellion. Yesterday, the National Assembly launched an investigation into the alleged rebellion of Mr. Yoon and the agencies involved in that act.

On the same day, Acting President Choi Sang-mok pledged to make efforts to stabilize the country in the face of an "unprecedentedly serious situation." Choi, the second person to take the hot seat since Yoon's suspension, listed the most serious challenges facing South Korea as changes in the global trade environment and diplomatic landscape, as well as domestic political turmoil stemming from the martial law declaration.

Choi appointed two judges to the Constitutional Court, the nine-member body that is considering Yoon's impeachment, on Tuesday. If six of the nine judges vote in favor of the impeachment, Yoon will become only the second president in history to be removed from office. Choi, who is deputy prime minister for the economy and finance minister, took over as acting president last week after the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach acting president and prime minister Han Duck-soo for failing to appoint judges.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dien-bien-lich-su-tren-chinh-truong-han-quoc-185241231193341667.htm