He argued that the warrant was illegal.
On December 31, KST, a South Korean court issued an arrest warrant against the impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeolfor his attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3, KST.
The warrant came after Yoon ignored three summons for questioning in the past two weeks. The warrant is part of the ongoing investigation against him for abuse of power and attempted insurrection. He is the first sitting South Korean president to face an arrest warrant.
After the warrant was issued, President Yoon’s legal representatives argued that it was illegal and invalid. They argued that the warrant was requested by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which had no investigative authority, making it an illegal request. They also said the warrant was issued by the Western District Court rather than the Seoul Central District Court, which would have jurisdiction over the case.
Lawyer Yoon Gap Geunrepresenting President Yoon, told the media that he would not comply with the warrant issued by the court. He added that under the current justice system, investigations are conducted by police while prosecutors apply for warrants. In President Yoon’s case, however, a joint investigation unit was formed with the police investigating and the IOC prosecutors seeking the warrants, which Attorney Yoon called illegal.
When the press asked which investigative agency, according to his thesis, had the authority to investigate the President, lawyer Yoon gave a vague answer, stating that “the law provides the answer.” Him too he underlined his position on the insurrection charges, saying that these could not be fundamentally established.
Despite his reluctance to comply with the arrest warrant, President Yoon is reportedly willing to attend hearings at the Constitutional Court to present his position. He is also preparing to submit to the Constitutional Court a conflict of jurisdiction and an injunction to suspend the arrest warrant.
You can read more about President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment here.
