South Korea police building case against Yoon for obstructing arrest
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South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol attending a hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court on Feb 11.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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SEOUL - South Korean police are formally building a case against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol
A South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for Mr Yoon on Dec 31 in a criminal investigation accusing the suspended leader of insurrection over his martial law decree in 2024.
The warrant, however, was not executed until Jan 15,
Police have been investigating Mr Yoon on suspicion of the obstruction of public duty since around Jan 3, a police spokesperson said by text message.
The crime is punishable by up to five years in jail, according to South Korean law.
Mr Yoon has said that his short-lived declaration of martial law did not constitute insurrection, one of only two charges a sitting president is not immune from.
Mr Yoon’s lawyers have also repeatedly argued that his arrest was politically motivated and that the warrant was invalid because of flaws in the way the investigation was conducted.
On Feb 21, one of his lawyers accused investigators of “warrant shopping”, citing how they had sought search warrants and warrants to obtain communication records at several courts.
“With its...warrants rejected by the Seoul Central District Court, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) submitted warrants to Seoul Western District Court,” said lawyer Yoon Kab-keun.
The courts and the CIO, which led the investigation, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The suspended leader's immunity from most criminal charges will end if he is ousted by the Constitutional Court, which is in the final phases of deliberating on his impeachment.
The Constitutional Court said on Feb 20 that it will hear final statements from Mr Yoon and Parliament in the next hearing in Mr Yoon's trial on whether to oust him or restore his presidential powers
Analysts have forecast a ruling could be made in March. REUTERS
