South Korea again issues arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-young

By Alimat Aliyeva

A South Korean court has once again issued an arrest warrant for the President of the Republic of Korea, Yoon Seok-youl, Azernews reports.

"On January 7, an arrest warrant was issued, which was re-applied for by the department in relation to the suspect [surnamed] Yoon," the department informed. A day earlier, the department's staff filed a request with the Seoul Western District Court to "extend the validity of the arrest warrant."

The previous arrest warrant had been issued on December 31 and was valid until January 6. On January 3, representatives of the joint investigation team attempted to arrest Yoon Seok-youl but left the premises of his residence after a standoff with his guards that lasted over five hours. His security team, upon presentation of the warrant, refused to allow a search of the complex. The Anti-Corruption Investigations Department stated that the arrest was virtually impossible due to the security measures in place. According to South Korea’s opposition, the guards were armed with firearms. Law enforcement agencies repeatedly appealed to Acting President Choi Sang-mok, requesting that the security service refrain from obstructing the arrest.

On January 7, during a parliamentary hearing, the head of the Anti-Corruption Department, Oh Dong-un, apologized to the public for the failure of the arrest attempt. In response to criticism and accusations that the department was unprepared for the January 3 operation, Oh stated that "many unforeseen circumstances" had arisen, for which he took responsibility. He promised to "thoroughly prepare" for the second arrest attempt, emphasizing that it may be the "last opportunity."

Yoon Seok-youl's lawyers argued that the warrant was invalid, as the Office of Anti-Corruption Investigations against High-ranking Officials did not have the authority to investigate the rebellion case. The Anti-Corruption Directorate began to take the lead in the case, as the law mandates that other investigative bodies transfer such cases to the directorate if requested by its head. The ministry also noted that the rebellion charges were linked to the abuse of official authority.

This political turmoil highlights ongoing tension in South Korea between the government and opposition factions, with allegations of corruption and abuse of power dominating the political discourse.