Special counsel seeks arrest warrant for ex-president over martial law bid

South Korean special counsels have sought a warrant to detain former President Yoon Suk Yeol over insurrection allegations related to a declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024.

This comes 18 days after the investigation began. In the request seeking to detain Yoon, the special probe team pressed three key charges on him of abusing power and obstructing the exercise of rights as well as falsifying official documents and interfering with public duties.

The detention warrant was sought to keep Yoon in custody for an extended period of time, or at least 20 days. Yoon’s legal team said that they had already given sufficient explanations regarding his charges and made an argument against the constitution of crime. The date of Yoon’s warrant review hearing, which is to take place at the Seoul Central District Court, has been set for Wednesday afternoon.