Yoon becomes first S.Korean sitting president to be formally arrested

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has become the country's first sitting president to be arrested on rebellion charges as part of a probe into his ill-fated martial law declaration last month. 

Early Sunday, the Seoul Western District Court approved the detention warrant requested by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), citing concerns that he could obstruct evidence during a criminal investigation into his martial law declaration in early December.

Under the new warrant, Yoon can be detained for up to 20 days and during his arrest must undergo a physical exam, have his mugshot taken and wear a prison uniform like any other suspect because his status has been changed from a temporary detainee to a criminal suspect facing an indictment.

The new warrant comes after investigators on Friday asked the court to extend his detention after he refused to be questioned following his temporary arrest by the CIO on Wednesday.   

The earlier arrest was set to expire in 48 hours, meaning the president could have been freed after 48 hours or petitioned for a longer detention.

The Seoul court approved the CIO's extension request due to “concern that the suspect may destroy evidence,” it said in a statement on Sunday.

CONSTITUTIONAL COURT'S DECISION TO COME

Within the next 18 days, Korean criminal investigators and prosecutors will continue investigating the president to decide whether to indict him on charges of leading an insurrection during his ill-fated martial law decree in early December.

If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or the death penalty.

In mid-December, President Yoon was impeached by Parliament soon after his botched martial law attempt.

The country’s Constitutional Court has embarked on an impeachment trial to decide whether to reinstate him or oust him from office. The court's ruling is expected in the next two to three months. 

This is separate from the criminal investigations of the president on charges of insurrection.

The Seoul court’s new arrest warrant suggests that the court may have endorsed rebellion charges against President Yoon, said an unnamed official in the legal community, citing the country’s presidential immunity from criminal liability, which is applied to all but rebellion charges under the Constitution.

Write to Yong-Hoon Kwon, Si-On Park and Jeong-Hoon An at fact@hankyung.com
Sookyung Seo edited this article.