Court Grants Extension of Detention Warrant for Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol

The Seoul Western District Court on Tuesday approved an extension of the detention warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, who faces charges related to his brief imposition of martial law. The decision follows a request from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which had initially sought the warrant on December 30, accusing Yoon of insurrection and abuse of power.

The court’s approval comes after the original warrant, which was set to expire on Monday, faced challenges. On Friday, an attempt to execute the warrant failed when presidential security personnel blocked investigators from entering Yoon’s official residence in central Seoul.

While the exact duration of the extension has not been disclosed, it is believed to be longer than the typical seven-day period for a detention warrant, reflecting anticipated complications in detaining the former president. The warrant’s extension allows the CIO to continue efforts to apprehend Yoon, with plans to carry out the detention soon.

This case marks a historic moment as it is the first time in South Korea’s history that a detention warrant has been issued for a sitting president.