That is the primary time a sitting South Korean president has confronted an arrest warrant.
Yoon was stripped of his presidential powers after South Korea’s parliament voted to question him earlier this month after some members of his personal ruling celebration turned on him following his refusal to resign over the December 3 decree.
South Korea’s anti-corruption company mentioned the Seoul Western District Courtroom granted the warrant Tuesday for Yoon on prices of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rise up.
The arrest warrant was issued after Yoon, a former prosecutor, had refused to reply three summonses by investigators in current weeks asking for his cooperation, in keeping with the Corruption Investigation Workplace (CIO).
Yoon is needed for questioning in a number of investigations, together with accusations of main an riot – a criminal offense punishable by life imprisonment and even the dying penalty.
On Monday, South Korean regulation enforcement officers requested the warrant.
The president’s lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, known as the issuance of an arrest warrant “unlawful and invalid,” whereas talking to reporters on Tuesday.
“It is a warrant request from an company that is clearly not licensed by regulation, and the warrant request course of was not clear,” Yoon mentioned, referring to the request made by the CIO.
An arrest warrant should normally be executed inside seven days, however may be prolonged, in keeping with the CIO.
Yoon has largely stayed away from public gentle in current weeks as he additionally faces a Constitutional Courtroom trial on whether or not he shall be formally faraway from the presidency or reinstated in workplace – a course of that might take as much as six months.
The courtroom held its first pretrial listening to on December 27, which Yoon was not in attendance for. His presence shouldn’t be obligatory.
The courtroom has vowed to take the case as a “prime precedence” together with different impeachment circumstances the opposition has pushed for in opposition to Yoon’s administration, together with the justice minister, prosecutors and different senior officers.
The nine-member courtroom, nevertheless, at present solely has six justices, on account of a delay in filling vacancies left by retired justices, additional complicating issues.
Beneath South Korean regulation, a minimum of six out of 9 justices should approve an impeachment for it to be upheld.
The courtroom has not but determined whether or not the six sitting justices alone can rule on Yoon’s destiny.
But when they’re able to, all six must vote in assist of the impeachment to formally take away Yoon.
A second pretrial listening to is scheduled for Friday.
Yoon has been banned from leaving the nation and prime officers from his authorities have additionally been arrested and indicted on allegations of riot.
Han defended his alternative, urging the ruling and opposition events to first attain an settlement earlier than appointments may be made.
The finance minister and deputy prime minister, Choi Sang-mok, is now the performing president.
Solely two days into his presidential duties, Choi is tasked with not solely a political disaster but additionally main a rustic in mourning after one of many deadliest aviation disasters in practically 30 years.
