(MENAFN- Live Mint) A South Korean court approved an arrest warrant on Tuesday for President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was impeached and suspended from office following his controversial decision to impose martial law on December 3, according to investigating authorities, as reported by Reuters.
The corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) confirmed that the Seoul Western District Court approved the arrest warrant requested by investigators probing Yoon Suk Yeol's brief imposition of martial law.
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According to local media, this marks the first arrest warrant ever issued for an incumbent president in South Korea.
Yoon's powers have been suspended since the opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14. The Constitutional Court is to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or reinstate him.
But he has since ignored repeated requests by investigative authorities to appear for questioning and allow them to search his office.
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Yoon has the presidential privilege of immunity from criminal prosecution, but it does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.
The National Assembly passed the impeachment motion with 204 votes in favor out of 300 members. The motion accused Yoon of insurrection, stemming from his December 3 bid to impose martial law. A two-thirds majority, or 200 votes, was required for the motion to succeed, necessitating support from at least eight lawmakers from Yoon's conservative People Power Party (PPP).
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In a televised address after the vote, Yoon said he would "step aside" but did not apologize for his actions.
South Korean Acting President
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has taken on the role of acting president following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday (December 14).
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo brings decades of experience and a reputation for steady, rational leadership to his new role. A career technocrat with a Harvard doctorate in economics, Han's wide-ranging expertise in trade, diplomacy, and governance has earned him bipartisan respect over more than three decades of public service.
(With inputs from Reuters)
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