South Korea: Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Yoon
Supporters of South Korea's former president stormed and vandalized the courthouse in Seoul that allowed the extension of his detention
The Western District Court in Seoul, South Korea’s capital, has issued an arrest warrant for ousted president Yoon Suk-yeol on charges of “abuse of power and sedition.” The warrant allows investigators to extend the detention of Yoon, who has been in custody since January 15, for up to 20 days, during which time the case must be turned over to prosecutors for arraignment.
The hearing, during which Yoon addressed the South Korean people in a lengthy speech, lasted about four hours. The judge found that there was “a risk of destruction of evidence” in declaring martial law on December 3, 2024 and sending troops into the National Assembly, the unicameral parliament, presumably in order to prevent lawmakers from voting against the presidential decree. The warrant was sought by the Directorate of Investigation into Corruption of Top Officials, which is conducting investigation jointly with the police and army.
More than 40,000 of the former South Korean president’s supporters gathered outside the Seoul District Court (pictured above) as judges extended Yoon’s arrest for at least another 20 days. After the court’s ruling was announced in the early morning hours of Sunday (local time), January 19, protesters began climbing the outer walls of the courthouse. They broke windows and threw chairs, trash, fire extinguishers, and other objects at law enforcement officers who tried to stop them. Some managed to enter the building and destroy furniture and other items found there. The attack lasted several hours, with police arresting about 90 people and saying they were investigating to identify other possible perpetrators. Nine officers and about 40 protesters were injured.
Yoon, who was moved to solitary confinement in a Seoul prison immediately after his conviction, has always disputed the arrest and denied the charges. According to the South Korean press, “the problem, which has been going on for more than a month, is creating great chaos in South Korean politics: Yoon was initially replaced by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who, however, remained in office as acting president for only 12 days before being removed in impeachment proceedings. Since December 27, the interim president has been Choi Sang-mok, an independent economist but considered very close to the People Power Party, which is led by Yoon and Han.
