Yoon's Side Requests 'Arrest Postponement After Impeachment Conclusion'... Corruption Investigation Office Maintains Warrant Validity

by Oh Jooyean

Published 12 Jan.2025 18:23(KST)

Updated 13 Jan.2025 10:56(KST)

The legal team representing President Yoon Seok-yeol submitted a notice of attorney appointment to the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Division (Gong-su-cheo) and reportedly requested that the arrest be postponed until after the conclusion of the impeachment trial. However, Gong-su-cheo stated that the validity of the arrest warrant remains in effect regardless of the submission of the attorney appointment by the legal team.

Yoon's Side Requests 'Arrest Postponement After Impeachment Conclusion'... Corruption Investigation Office Maintains Warrant Validity

According to legal circles on the 12th, Yoon Gap-geun, Bae Bo-yoon, and Song Jin-ho, lawyers for President Yoon, visited Gong-su-cheo around 2 p.m. that day to submit the notice of attorney appointment and met with the investigation team. They reportedly conveyed the opinion that "considering procedural issues such as the ongoing trial at the Constitutional Court regarding the exercise of the president's authority, it is inappropriate to arrest President Yoon at this time." They also expressed concerns that arresting a sitting president could cause problems with national dignity and governance.

Furthermore, the legal team conveyed the opinion that due to the sitting president's immunity from prosecution, President Yoon cannot be indicted for abuse of power, and that it is not lawful for Gong-su-cheo to arrest or detain him on charges of rebellion, which is a related crime to abuse of power.

Ultimately, this is interpreted as an argument that executing the arrest warrant while President Yoon still holds the position of sitting president is inappropriate, and even if an attempt is made to execute it, it should only be after the impeachment trial determines whether he is removed from office.

Gong-su-cheo plans to continue preparations to execute the arrest warrant regardless of the submission of the attorney appointment by President Yoon's legal team and their meeting with the investigation team.