South Korean anti-graft investigators are awaiting approval for a new arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose controversial martial law decree last month sparked a political crisis. Yoon, who has refused questioning on three occasions, remains confined to his residence with hundreds of guards preventing his arrest.
Investigators have refiled the arrest warrant with the Seoul Western District Court after the initial warrant expired. While the duration of the new warrant remains undisclosed, authorities expressed confidence that the court is likely to grant it.
Yoon is facing charges of insurrection, with possible prison time or even the death penalty if convicted. The investigation stems from his failed martial law decree, which has led to South Korea’s worst political crisis in decades. If arrested, Yoon would be the first sitting president in South Korean history to face such charges.
His impeachment trial is set to begin on January 14, and the Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to determine whether to uphold or overturn his impeachment.
