Officials Seek Arrest Warrant for Impeached President Yoon in Wake of Martial Law Incident – One America News Network
OAN Staff Blake Wolf
12:37 PM – Monday, December 30, 2024
South Korean law enforcement authorities submitted a request for a court-issued warrant on Monday for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, seeking to detain him while investigators look into whether his martial law proclamation on December 3rd constitutes an abuse of authority, bordering on rebellion.
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The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials is behind the request for the warrant.
They intend to investigate whether Yoon’s declaration of martial law could be viewed as unconstitutional and a misuse of power.
Yoon argues that his martial law declaration was a necessary move to counteract factions aiming to “overthrow the free democracy,” marking the first time a South Korean president has declared martial law since the military dictatorship of the late 1980s.
Despite the order lasting only a few hours, it thrust the nation into a state of political turmoil. Yoon faces accusations of attempting to prevent the National Assembly from voting to revoke the martial law by dispatching hundreds of troops to surround its building.
The martial law announcement triggered significant public outcry as demonstrators filled the streets in opposition, while lawmakers rushed to the National Assembly to repeal the decree, including members of Yoon’s own political faction.
On December 14th, the National Assembly voted to impeach him, putting his political fate in the hands of the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberating on whether to uphold the impeachment or reinstate him.
Yoon Kap-Keun, the former president’s attorney, criticized the Corruption Investigation Office, contending that the body lacks the jurisdiction to probe allegations related to abuse of power and rebellion.
“An incumbent president cannot be prosecuted for abuse of power,” asserted Yoon Kap-Keun.
“Naturally, there are differing scholarly interpretations on whether a president can face investigation for abuse of power, with some asserting that it is permissible. However, even if investigations are granted, the prevailing perspective is to exercise caution,” he continued.
The procedure for forcibly detaining Yoon may be complicated due to potential violent confrontations with his presidential security team if authorities attempt to execute the arrest.
For the Constitutional Court to affirm Yoon’s impeachment, it requires a majority of at least six justices to agree; however, three positions are currently vacant, necessitating an unprecedented unanimous decision for impeachment.
The opposition Democratic Party has pledged to expedite efforts to fill the vacant judicial seats to restore public confidence in the court’s proceedings.
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