Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Yoon... People Power Party Says "Court's Decision Is Very Regrettable"

The People Power Party responded with "regret" to the issuance of an arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol.

On the 19th, Shin Dong-wook, the chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, said, "We deeply regret the court's decision," and pointed out, "Above all, as the sitting president, there is absolutely no risk of flight or evidence tampering. Given the ongoing controversies surrounding the current Public Officials Corruption Investigation Unit's authority to investigate treason, various illegal acts, and other issues, it is questionable whether the repercussions of arresting a sitting president have been fully considered."

Shin Dong-wook, Chief Spokesperson of the People Power Party, Yonhap News Agency

He added, "Any subsequent judicial procedures must be conducted fairly and carefully without any controversy or flaws."

Earlier, Chief Judge Cha Eun-kyung of the Seoul Western District Court held a pre-arrest detention hearing for President Yoon, who is accused of leading a rebellion and abusing power to obstruct the exercise of rights. After the hearing, the judge issued an arrest warrant citing "concerns about evidence destruction." This is the first time in constitutional history that a sitting president has been arrested, occurring 47 days after the 'December 3 Emergency Martial Law Incident.'

President Yoon is accused of conspiring with former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun to declare an unconstitutional and illegal state of emergency on the 3rd of last month, thereby inciting a riot with the intent to disrupt the national order. With the issuance of the arrest warrant, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the prosecution can continue detention investigations of President Yoon for up to 20 days.

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