A South Korean court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol, a media report said.
South Korea slipped into political chaos about a month ago when the embattled president declared martial law — a decision that angered his party and allies.
For the first time in South Korea’s political history, a court had approved an arrest warrant for an incumbent president, CNN reported.
South Korea’s parliament, including some members of the ruling party, voted earlier in the month to impeach Yoon and strip him of presidential powers.
On Tuesday, the Seoul Western District Court issued the arrest warrant for the president on charges of power abuse and orchestrating a rebellion, the report said.
In recent weeks, Yoon had declined to answer three summonses from investigators seeking his cooperation, said the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO).
With senior officials of his administration put behind bars and indicted on allegations of insurrection, Yoon has been barred from leaving the country.
The Corruption Investigation Office is looking into the circumstances of the announcement of martial law by the president.
Meanwhile, the president’s defense lawyer insisted the agency was not authorised to investigate an insurrection case.
PAN Monitor/mud
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