South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has requested an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk-yeol, marking the first such request against a sitting president. This comes after he refused to comply with all three summonses and even rejected receiving the summons documents, prompting the CIO to pursue forcible detention. While former presidents have been detained, this only occurred after they left office. It is a national tragedy that things have reached this point.
President Yoon has argued that the CIO’s summons is invalid, claiming that charges of insurrection do not fall under its jurisdiction. His legal representatives maintain that the arrest warrant is unlawful. However, the CIO has formed a joint investigation unit with the police, who do have jurisdiction over insurrection cases. The CIO Act also allows investigations into “related crimes” uncovered during probes into high-ranking officials. The CIO is currently investigating allegations of abuse of power against President Yoon and has expanded the scope to include insurrection-related charges. This approach recently led to the arrest of former Defense Intelligence Commander Moon Sang-ho on similar charges, with a warrant granted by the court. Yoon’s refusal to comply with the summons lacks justification.
Moreover, shocking claims were revealed when prosecutors recently indicted former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, alleging that President Yoon directed military commanders to use force against lawmakers during the martial law crisis. He allegedly ordered them to “break down doors and drag lawmakers out, even at gunpoint,” and said that he could declare martial law multiple times if necessary. If true, such orders would be clear violations of the Constitution and the law. While Yoon denies these allegations, key figures involved in the crisis, including military commanders, the National Police Agency chief, and the Seoul police chief, have already been detained. As the ultimate authority during this incident, Yoon must address these accusations directly to the public. Instead, he has evaded both explanation and legal procedures.
If the court approves the arrest warrant, Yoon will have no legal means to block its enforcement. While the Presidential Security Service previously resisted search warrants citing national security, such defenses do not apply to an arrest warrant. Blocking its execution would itself violate the law and could lead to physical confrontation. President Yoon once pledged to face investigations or impeachment with dignity. Upholdng this promise is now his responsibility to the nation.
