South Korean anti-corruption investigators have refiled a court application to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after the initial arrest warrant expired without execution.
According to the AFP, the president is accused of insurrection following an alleged failed attempt to enforce martial law, a move that plunged the country into its most severe political crisis in decades.
On Monday, the Corruption Investigation Office announced it had submitted a new request to the Seoul Western District Court to extend the arrest warrant for Yoon.
“Details regarding the validity period cannot be disclosed,” the agency said in a statement, following the expiration of the initial seven-day warrant.
The outcome of the latest request remained unclear as of Tuesday afternoon. However, CIO Deputy Director Lee Jae-Seung expressed optimism earlier in the day, stating, “The likelihood of the court rejecting the new warrant is very low.”
Yoon, a former top prosecutor, has refused to cooperate with questioning three times. Since last week, he has remained confined to his residence, which is heavily guarded by a security force that has successfully blocked investigators’ attempts to arrest him.
The CIO’s efforts to detain Yoon have faced multiple obstacles, including resistance from the presidential security detail and legal challenges from his defense team.
“The initial warrant was completely unlawful,” Yoon’s lawyers argued, adding that the CIO lacks jurisdiction to investigate insurrection charges.
Legal experts believe the court is likely to approve the reissued warrant. “Given the severity of the charges and the circumstances, the chances of the warrant being granted are quite high,” said Yun Bok-Nam, president of Lawyers for a Democratic Society.
The investigation has highlighted the challenges faced by the CIO, a relatively new agency with fewer than 100 staff members.
“They lack experience in handling high-profile arrests, let alone detaining a sitting president,” Yun noted, emphasizing the importance of police collaboration under the Joint Investigation Headquarters.
The political stakes are intensifying as the Constitutional Court prepares for Yoon’s impeachment trial, scheduled to begin on January 14. The court has up to 180 days to decide whether to remove Yoon from office or reinstate him.
While local media suggest Yoon may attend the trial’s opening session, his lawyer remained noncommittal. “His appearance on that date is still undecided,” the attorney told reporters.
This case marks uncharted territory for South Korea, where no sitting president has ever been arrested. If convicted, Yoon could face severe penalties, including imprisonment or even the death sentence.
Meanwhile, the opposition Democratic Party has called for action against acting President Choi Sang-mok, accusing him of “dereliction of duty” for failing to intervene in the case.
Supporters of the embattled president continue to gather outside his residence despite freezing weather, although the scene on Tuesday was calmer with no active warrant in place.
