In a decisive move on Thursday, the Seoul Central District Court issued an arrest warrant for ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol. The special counsel team led by Min Joong-ki aims to force Yoon into questioning over alleged election meddling ahead of the 2022 presidential race.
Yoon, who has been held at the Seoul Detention Center on insurrection charges after imposing martial law last December, twice defied the counsel's summons. Prosecutors are now planning to escort him directly from detention for the high-stakes interrogation.
At the heart of the probe are claims that Yoon received free opinion polls from self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun. In exchange, Yoon allegedly agreed to illegally nominate a former People Power Party lawmaker in a parliamentary by-election later that year.
Investigators are also examining whether Yoon made false statements during the 2021 presidential primaries about his wife's role in a stock price manipulation scandal – an alleged election law violation.
As the drama unfolds, this move underscores South Korea's rigorous steps to safeguard its democratic process and hold leaders to account.
Reference(s):
South Korean court issues warrant to arrest ex-President Yoon
cgtn.com