Yoon Suk Yeol becomes 1st S.Korean president to face arrest warrant

The arrest warrant is valid until Monday.

Yoon defied at least four summons from investigators to appear for questioning over charges of insurrection and treason.

The arrest warrant was issued by Seoul Western District Court on a request from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) on charges of masterminding the botched Dec. 3 martial law declaration, orchestrating the insurrection and abusing power, the Seoul-based Yonhap News reported.

Yoon became the first sitting president to face charges of insurrection and treason, as well as travel ban, after his move which shocked the nation on the night of Dec. 3.

Investigators, including members of the police, the Defense Ministry, and the prosecution, were also authorized to search Yoon's presidential residence in the Yongsan district of the capital.

Sitting presidents are immune from arrest in South Korea except for charges such as insurrection and treason.

Earlier, Yoon's security blocked the entry of investigators to search his office and related places.

Separately, the parliament approved its own investigation Tuesday into Yoon's alleged insurrection attempt and the probe may take up to 45 days.

The 18-member parliamentary committee consists of 10 opposition and seven ruling party lawmakers, besides one independent parliamentarian, and the probe may last until Feb. 13.  

Yoon denies accusations

Yoon, himself a trained prosecutor, has denied the accusations, calling the martial law declaration an "act of governance" meant to caution the opposition party against what he described as an abuse of legislative power.

His legal team said it "cannot accept the detention warrant," calling it "illegal and invalid."

It said the request for warrants was made by an investigative body with "no effective jurisdiction."

However, the court rejected Yoon's claims that the CIO lacks jurisdiction over insurrection cases.

It remains unclear if the investigators would take steps to detain Yoon, who could be detained at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, the south of the capital.

Yoon's presidential security service said it would "take measures to handle the warrant in accordance with legal process."

The court also dismissed Yoon's claims that he could not attend the previous summons "because arrangements for his personal safety and security detail, as the president, had not been made."

Yoon remains suspended from office after the parliament voted to remove him over the martial law decree, which was the 17th in South Korea's history.

A constitutional court is conducting the trial of Yoon's impeachment which may take up to six months.

If the top court backs the parliament impeachment motion, Yoon will be removed from the presidential office and the fresh elections will be due within two months from that date.

In case the judges decide against the parliament, Yoon will be immediately reinstated to his office.

Currently, the state affairs are run by Yoon's Cabinet, led by Finance Chief Choi Sang-mok, who was appointed the acting president last week after the parliament impeached Prime Minister Han Duck-soo for not appointing special counsels to probe Yoon and his wife, as well his as refusal to appoint judges to the Constitutional Court.

Han had taken up the charge after Yoon was suspended from duties.

Separately, Choi on Tuesday appointed two judges to the Constitutional Court, possibly ending tensions with the opposition-dominated parliament.

The top court has a total capacity of nine judges but it is currently holding the trial with only six judges in attendance.

At least six sitting judges of the top court must uphold a successful impeachment motion to remove a president.

The lawmakers had passed a bill to nominate three judges to the court but Choi withheld the approval of the third one.

The two newly appointed judges were recommended by the ruling and opposition parties.

Choi did not approve the nomination of the third one because it was a second choice by the opposition parties.