A South Korean court, early Thursday, approved a new arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol over charges linked to his brief but controversial imposition of martial law last December.
The Seoul Central District Court ruled in favor of a request by special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, who argued that Yoon poses a significant risk of destroying evidence.
This latest development sends the ousted conservative leader back to a detention center near the capital, just four months after he was released from custody in March. At that time, the same court overturned his initial January arrest, allowing him to face trial for rebellion without being held in detention.
Special Prosecutor Cho’s team is pursuing additional charges, including obstruction of official duties, abuse of power, and falsifying official documents. Yoon was questioned twice before the arrest request was submitted on Sunday.
Yoon’s legal team had condemned the renewed arrest request as “excessive and unsubstantiated.” They have yet to issue a formal response to the court’s decision. Yoon, who did not speak to reporters when he arrived for Wednesday’s seven-hour hearing, was transferred back to detention following the court’s ruling.
Yoon, who was formally removed from office in April after the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment, could now face an extended period in custody. Under South Korean law, he may be held for up to 20 days before formal indictment. If indicted, Yoon could remain in pre-trial detention for as long as six months pending a court ruling.
The case stems from Yoon’s imposition of martial law on December 3, 2024 — an action he claimed was necessary to counter what he called “anti-state” liberal lawmakers obstructing his policies. The measure was quickly overturned after lawmakers, supported by security forces who defied Yoon’s orders, reconvened at the National Assembly and repealed the decree within hours.
On January 26, Yoon was indicted by public prosecutors on charges of masterminding an attempted rebellion — including efforts to seize control of the legislature, the national election commission, and detain political opponents. The charges carry severe penalties, including the death sentence or life imprisonment.
Further accusations claim Yoon bypassed legal procedures by imposing martial law without Cabinet approval and used presidential security forces as a personal militia to block law enforcement attempts to detain him in early January.
In response to the constitutional crisis, President Lee Jae Myung, Yoon’s liberal rival who won the June snap election, signed into law a bill last month authorizing a wide-ranging investigation into Yoon’s actions, including separate allegations involving his wife and former administration officials.
As South Korea grapples with the fallout of one of its most severe political upheavals in recent history, legal proceedings against Yoon are expected to dominate headlines and deepen the nation’s ongoing reckoning with executive overreach.
Chioma Kalu
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