"Job is civil servant, charge is leader of rebellion"…Yoon's arrest and search warrant also in spotlight

Photo of President Yoon's Search Warrant Spreads Online
Netizens Say "Even the President Is Equal Before the Law"
Supporters Criticize Judge Who Issued the Warrant

Amid the unprecedented arrest of President Yoon Seok-yeol, who is accused of being the ringleader of a rebellion, a photo of the search warrant specifying President Yoon's charges has been spreading on social networking services (SNS) on the 16th. The photo shows the cover of the warrant issued by the Seoul Western District Court upon the request of the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (HOCI).

President Yoon Suk-yeol is entering the Gwacheon Corruption Investigation Office building on the 15th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju

Looking at the photo, the warrant number ‘2025-186’ lists the charge as ‘ringleader of a rebellion.’ The suspect’s name is Yoon Seok-yeol, and his occupation is recorded as a public official. The warrant is valid until the 21st of this month. The reasons for the search and the locations to be searched are attached separately. Next to it, there is a stamp stating, “This warrant may be executed before sunrise and after sunset.”

At the bottom of the warrant, it states, “There are circumstances that reasonably suspect the suspect of committing a crime, and it is recognized that it is related to the case; therefore, the search is conducted as above. If the validity period expires, execution cannot commence, and the warrant must be returned.” Just below, the issuance date of January 7 and the handwritten name and seal of Judge Shin Han-mi, the chief judge responsible for issuing warrants at the Western District Court, are affixed.

Second arrest warrant released by President Yoon Suk-yeol's side. Provided by lawyer Seok Dong-hyun.

This warrant was previously disclosed by Yoon’s lawyer Seok Dong-hyun, and among netizens, reactions such as “Even the president is equal before the law” have emerged. On the other hand, supporters of President Yoon have negatively evaluated Judge Shin Han-mi, who issued the warrant.

According to the warrant, President Yoon was arrested at 10:33 a.m. the previous day at the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. After being transferred to the HOCI, President Yoon was interrogated from 11 a.m. until 9:40 p.m., and then transported by a security service vehicle to the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi Province.

On the 16th, President Yoon’s side reportedly requested to postpone the scheduled morning interrogation due to health reasons. In response, the HOCI announced that the interrogation of President Yoon would continue at 2 p.m.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.