South Korea issues arrest warrant for ex-President Yoon
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Former President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea Is Arrested on New Charges
Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by South Korea’s legislature in December. He was arrested in January after a short-lived attempt to place his country under martial law in 2024.
Mr. Yoon was impeached by South Korea’s legislature in December and arrested in January after a short-lived attempt to place his country under martial law in 2024. He was the first president in South Korean history to be indicted on criminal charges while in office.
In March, a judge released him from jail, saying that prosecutors had made a procedural error by miscalculating how long they could hold him in detention before indicting him in January on insurrection charges. That error rendered his detention — but not his indictment — invalid, the judge said.
Mr. Yoon was formally removed from office in April, when the Constitutional Court endorsed his parliamentary impeachment. But since his release from jail, he had been attending his insurrection trial as a free man.
S. Korean court issues arrest warrant for ex-President Yoon
A South Korean court on Thursday ordered the arrest of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his alleged attempt to impose martial law last year. Yoon was formally stripped of office in April after being impeached and suspended by lawmakers over his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule.
Nam Se-jin, a senior judge at Seoul’s Central District Court, issued an arrest warrant for Yoon over concerns that he could destroy evidence in the case, according to Yonhap.
Yoon was formally stripped of office in April after being impeached and suspended by lawmakers over his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule, which saw armed soldiers deployed to parliament.
The ex-president and his lawyers attended the hearing and rejected all charges before he was taken to Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, to await the court’s decision, Yonhap said Thursday.
According to the news agency, this is the second time Yoon has been arrested.
The first time was in January when he was still in office, but a court later accepted his request to cancel his arrest, paving the way for him to be released in March.
Previously, the courts dismissed an arrest warrant for Yoon requested by prosecutors after he initially refused to appear for questioning, citing that he had since expressed a willingness to comply with future summons.
Seoul court issues warrant to arrest ex-president Yoon over martial law bid
Yoon is accused of calling only a select few to a meeting before declaring martial law on Dec. 3. He is also accused of trying to get a declaration of martial law signed by then-minister Han Duck-soo and then discarding it. A court has issued an arrest warrant for Yoon over the charges.
Yoon and his lawyers attended the hearing and rejected all charges before the former president was taken to Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, just south of the capital, to await the court’s decision.
Nam Se-jin, a senior judge at Seoul’s Central District Court, issued the warrant, citing concerns that Yoon could destroy evidence, the Yonhap news agency said.
The former president is also accused of creating a false martial law declaration document after Dec. 3 to add legitimacy to his actions and getting it signed by then prime minister Han Duck-soo and then defence minister Kim Yong-hyun before discarding it.
The other charges involve his alleged instruction to the presidential spokesperson for foreign press to distribute false statements denying his intent to destroy the constitutional order through the martial law attempt, his alleged instruction to the Presidential Security Service to block his detention by investigators in early January and his alleged order to delete call records from secure phones used by three military commanders.
This is the second time Yoon has been arrested.
South Korean court orders arrest of ex-president Yoon: Yonhap
A South Korean court on July 10 issued an arrest warrant for former president Yoon Suk Yeol. He was placed in custody over his failed martial law bid in 2024. Yoon was formally stripped of office in April after being impeached and suspended by lawmakers over his Dec 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule.
An arrest warrant was issued for former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol over concerns that he could destroy evidence in his case.
SEOUL – A South Korean court on July 10 issued an arrest warrant for former president Yoon Suk Yeol and placed him in custody over his failed martial law bid in 2024, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Mr Nam Se-jin, a senior judge at Seoul’s Central District Court, issued an arrest warrant for Yoon over concerns that he could destroy evidence in the case, according to Yonhap.
Yoon was formally stripped of office in April after being impeached and suspended by lawmakers over his Dec 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule, which saw armed soldiers deployed to Parliament.
The ex-president and his lawyers attended the hearing and rejected all charges before he was taken to Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, just south of the capital, to await the court’s decision, Yonhap said on July 10.
According to the news agency, this is the second time Yoon has been arrested.
The first time was in January when he was still in office, but a court later accepted his request to cancel his arrest, paving the way for him to be released in March.
Previously, the courts dismissed an arrest warrant for Yoon requested by prosecutors after he initially refused to appear for questioning, citing that he had since expressed a willingness to comply with future summons. AFP
South Korea ex-leader Yoon returns to jail as court grants warrant
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol returned to jail on Thursday. Court approved a warrant sought by prosecutors investigating his attempt to impose martial law last year. He spent 52 days in jail earlier in the year but was released four months ago. Constitutional Court ousted him as president in April, upholding parliament’s impeachment for the martial law bid, which shocked South Koreans and triggered months of political turmoil. He already faces criminal charges of insurrection over his martial law decree, and that could carry a sentence of life in prison or death. He has denied the allegations against him and called the detention request an unreasonable move in a hasty investigation.
Item 1 of 8 Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review his arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors in Seoul, South Korea, July 9, 2025. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/Pool
Summary Ex-president faces charges of insurrection over martial law bid
Probe examines allegations of obstruction of justice, abuse of power
Yoon spent 52 days in jail, was released four months ago
SEOUL, July 10 (Reuters) – Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol returned to jail on Thursday after a court approved a warrant sought by prosecutors investigating his attempt to impose martial law last year.
The Seoul Central District Court’s decision bolstered the special counsel investigation into allegations that Yoon’s move in December represented obstruction of justice and abuse of power.
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The court said in a statement it granted the request because of concerns Yoon could seek to destroy evidence.
The conservative politician already faces criminal charges of insurrection over his martial law decree, and that could carry a sentence of life in prison or death.
The former president returned to confinement in the Seoul Detention Center about 20 km (12 miles) south of the capital after the decision. He spent 52 days in jail earlier in the year but was released four months ago on technical grounds.
The Constitutional Court ousted him as president in April, upholding parliament’s impeachment for the martial law bid, which shocked South Koreans and triggered months of political turmoil.
The special prosecution team launched its investigation after new leader Lee Jae Myung was elected in June, and it has been looking into additional charges against Yoon.
The special counsel team is now expected to speed up its probe into allegations, including whether Yoon hurt South Korea’s interests by intentionally inflaming tensions with North Korea.
Yoon attended the court hearing on Wednesday on the detention warrant, wearing a dark navy suit and a red tie, but did not answer questions from reporters.
His lawyers have denied the allegations against him and called the detention request an unreasonable move in a hasty investigation.
More than 1,000 supporters rallied near the court on Wednesday, local media reported, waving flags and signs and chanting Yoon’s name in heat of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit).
In their warrant request, prosecutors said Yoon poses a flight risk, local media reported.
Reporting by Joyce Lee, Ju-min Park, Urvi Dugar Editing by Ed Davies, Saad Sayeed and Cynthia Osterman
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