South Korea court rejects arrest warrant for ex-President Yoon, Yonhap says
SEOUL: A South Korean court has rejected a request to issue an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol related to a probe into his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, the Yonhap News Agency said on Wednesday, citing a special prosecutor.A spokesperson for the Seoul Central District Court and the prosecution office could not immediately be reached for comment.South Korea's special prosecutor had asked the court on Tuesday to issue an arrest warrant for Yoon as an investigation intensified over the ousted leader's botched bid to declare martial law in December.Yoon, who is already facing a criminal trial on insurrection charges for issuing the martial law declaration, was arrested in January after resisting authorities trying to take him into custody, but was released after 52 days on technical grounds.The new warrant was on a charge of obstruction, a senior member of the special prosecutor's team of investigators said on Tuesday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
5 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Thailand Takes Further Step to Tighten Control on Sales of Cannabis
Thai authorities said Wednesday the country is taking further steps to tighten control of cannabis sales after the health minister signed an order banning sales of the plant to those without prescriptions. Thailand became the first country in Asia to decriminalize cannabis in 2022 in a move that boosted Thailand's tourism and farming and spawned thousands of shops. But the country has faced public backlash over allegations that under-regulation has made the drug available to children and caused addiction. Health Minister Somsak Thepsutin on Monday signed an order that bans shops from selling cannabis to customers without a prescription. It also seeks to reclassify cannabis buds as a controlled herb. Phanurat Lukboon, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, said Wednesday that his agency is ready to study and implement the change in regulations. The order is set to be effective as soon as it is published in the Royal Gazette, although it is unclear when this will happen. The ruling Pheu Thai Party previously promised to criminalize the drug again but faced strong resistance from its former partner in the coalition government, the Bhumjaithai Party, which supported the decriminalization. Bhumjaithai quit the coalition last week over a leaked phone call between Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra and a former Cambodian leader, Hun Sen. Somsak told reporters on Tuesday that he would like to relist cannabis as a narcotic in the future. The move came after officials last month revealed that cannabis smuggling cases involving tourists had soared in recent months. Phanurat said that a study done by his agency last year found the number of people addicted to cannabis had spiked significantly after it was decriminalized. Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsab said in a statement Tuesday that the government ordered the Health Ministry to tighten control on sales of cannabis because many shops opened to sell cannabis both for recreational and medical purposes, allowing easy access for children and the general public, which contradicts the government's purpose to crack down on drugs. A group of cannabis advocates said Wednesday that the change in regulations was politically motivated. The group said they will rally at the Health Ministry next month to oppose the change and the attempt to make it a criminal offense again to consume or sell cannabis.
Arab News
6 hours ago
- Arab News
South Korea court rejects arrest warrant for ex-President Yoon, Yonhap says
SEOUL: A South Korean court has rejected a request to issue an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol related to a probe into his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, the Yonhap News Agency said on Wednesday, citing a special prosecutor.A spokesperson for the Seoul Central District Court and the prosecution office could not immediately be reached for Korea's special prosecutor had asked the court on Tuesday to issue an arrest warrant for Yoon as an investigation intensified over the ousted leader's botched bid to declare martial law in who is already facing a criminal trial on insurrection charges for issuing the martial law declaration, was arrested in January after resisting authorities trying to take him into custody, but was released after 52 days on technical new warrant was on a charge of obstruction, a senior member of the special prosecutor's team of investigators said on Tuesday.
Al Arabiya
8 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Taiwan ex-soldier sentenced after spying for China
Taiwan's High Court on Wednesday sentenced a former soldier to two years and two months in prison for photographing and leaking confidential military documents to China. Beijing claims the self-ruled island as part of its territory and has threatened to use force to bring it under its control. The two sides have been spying on each other for decades, but experts say the threat to Taiwan is greater given the risk of a Chinese invasion. The defendant, identified by his family name Chen, was convicted of violating the Criminal Code of the Armed Forces for passing the documents for a payment of NT$80,000 ($2,700), the court said in a statement. It did not identify Chen's rank or what kind of information was leaked. In February 2023, Chen obtained electronic files of military secret-level documents from a classmate under the pretext of 'preparing for supervision by his superiors', printed them out and took them out of the camp. Chen then used his smartphone to photograph the files and sent them to a man he met on the messaging app Line in 2022 when he applied for a loan, the court said. 'He handed over our country's military secrets in exchange for money, which seriously damaged national security,' it added. The court added that Chen received a lenient sentence because he confessed and showed remorse during the investigation and trial. Local newspaper Liberty Times reported that Chen was a former Marines sergeant addicted to online gaming and owed huge debts. He can appeal the ruling.
