A South Korean court has declined a request to issue an arrest warrant for ousted president Yoon Suk Yeol, just one day after prosecutors attempted to detain him over his refusal to cooperate with a probe into his controversial attempt to declare martial law.
Yoon was removed from office in April following his impeachment by lawmakers over a failed bid on December 3, to disrupt democratic governance, during which armed soldiers were deployed to the National Assembly.
The former leader is already undergoing trial for insurrection and has been appearing in court to contest the charges. However, he repeatedly ignored summonses from a special parliamentary-appointed counsel investigating the martial law order, prompting Tuesday’s request for his arrest.
On Wednesday night, the special counsel confirmed that Seoul Central District Court had rejected the application, citing Yoon’s stated readiness to respond to future summonses “if requested.”
As a result, the special counsel has summoned Yoon to appear at 9:00 am on Saturday, 28 June.
Yoon’s defence team, while criticising the arrest bid as “excessive”, said he would comply with the latest order.
“The court’s dismissal of the warrant is a clear message against the misuse of investigative powers,” his legal team said. “This unfounded and procedurally improper move appears intended to publicly discredit a former head of state.”
They added that Yoon would present himself before investigators on Saturday and “face the inquiry with confidence.”
Meanwhile, on the same day, the court approved a fresh arrest warrant for Kim Yong-hyun, Yoon’s former defence minister. Kim, who remains in custody, faces additional charges of obstructing official duties. He is already on trial for alleged insurrection, accused of drafting the martial law declaration and advising Yoon to implement it.
