South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to face an unprecedented legal investigation as the court issued an arrest warrant, marking the first such case involving a sitting president. Despite President Yoon's side arguing that the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) lacks investigative authority, the court dismissed this claim. The CIO now plans to proceed with Yoon's swift arrest.

Judge Lee Soon-hyung of the Seoul Western District Court, who oversees warrants, issued the arrest warrant and search warrant for the presidential residence in Hannam-dong. This decision came about 21 hours after the CIO requested the warrant, indicating the court's lengthy deliberation on the matter.

Earlier, on the midnight of the 30th, the joint investigation team submitted a request for the arrest warrant after President Yoon failed to respond to three consecutive summonses for questioning.

The arrest warrant charges President Yoon as the "leader of an insurrection." The CIO alleges that Yoon conspired with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and senior military officials to premeditate the declaration of martial law and issue orders for a coup. Alongside the arrest warrant, a search warrant for Yoon's detailed whereabouts was filed for his Hannam-dong residence.

Under the Criminal Procedure Act, an arrest warrant can be requested when there are sufficient grounds to suspect the individual of a crime and when the individual fails to respond to lawful summons. Typically, warrants are sought after the accused disregards three summons requests.

President Yoon's legal representatives have consistently argued that the CIO lacks jurisdiction to conduct this investigation. However, the court's decision to approve the arrest warrant undermines this claim.

Yoon's legal team stated, "The CIO has no jurisdiction over insurrection-related crimes, making this investigation unlawful." The CIO countered by asserting that insurrection charges are closely tied to abuse of power, an area within its investigative authority as stipulated under the Corruption Investigation Act.

Yoon's attorney, Yoon Gap-geun, submitted a legal opinion following the warrant request, likening the CIO's approach to "claiming ownership over a tree because its leaves crossed a property boundary." However, the court dismissed this argument, effectively siding with the CIO.

The approval of the arrest warrant is expected to expedite the investigation. The CIO plans to hold a briefing on the morning of the 31st to outline its next steps.

Once an arrest warrant is approved, it typically remains valid for seven days. The CIO is expected to act within this timeframe to secure Yoon's custody. However, there is a possibility that Yoon may resist arrest by leveraging the Presidential Security Service. The CIO is reportedly preparing for such a scenario.

CIO Chief Oh Dong-woon had earlier stated during a National Assembly hearing that if an arrest warrant were issued, "The CIO Director will notify the Presidential Security Service that obstructing the execution of the warrant could result in charges of obstruction of official duties and abuse of authority."

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