Key Takeaways
- The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) seeks to extend an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol.
- The CIO investigated President Yoon Suk-yeol for corruption allegations and an insurrection charge.
- The National Assembly impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Dec. 14, 2024, suspending his presidential power for up to 180 days.
Seoul: South Korea’s anti-corruption investigative agency will seek the extension of a warrant to arrest the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Monday after a botched attempt of Yoon’s arrest last week, according to multiple media outlets.
The CIO planned to request the extension of the warrant later in the day. They entrusted the NOI with the task of executing the warrant on Sunday, a crucial step in the investigation process.
The CIO was quoted as saying that it will maintain the authority to investigate and entrust the NOI with the authority to execute the warrant while considering referring the case to the prosecution office at a certain stage.
The anti-corruption investigative unit and the police have investigated Yoon’s martial law imposition jointly with the defense ministry’s investigation headquarters.
The CIO investigators and police officers attempted to arrest the impeached president in the presidential residence on Jan. 3, but they failed as the presidential security service blocked the execution of the arrest warrant that was issued by a Seoul court. The warrant was scheduled to be valid for a week until Monday.
The National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against Yoon on Dec. 14, 2024. The constitutional court is now deliberating the case, which will impact Yoon’s presidential power for up to 180 days.
Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared martial law on the night of Dec. 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
