Special prosecutors file arrest warrant for South Korean ex-Pres. Yoon
SEOUL, July 30 (UPI) -- South Korean special prosecutors investigating allegations against former First Lady Kim Keon Hee said Wednesday that they requested an arrest warrant to bring in former President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over election meddling charges.
The request was made after Yoon defied a summons by prosecutor Min Joong-ki for a second time.
"The special prosecutors again notified former President Yoon, who failed to appear yesterday, to appear at 10:00 AM today," assistant special counsel Oh Jeong-hee said during a press briefing. "However, former President Yoon did not appear, both yesterday and today, without providing any reason."
"The special prosecutor's office filed an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol this afternoon," Oh said.
Yoon's legal representatives claim the former president was unable to attend due to health issues, according to local media reports.
Yoon is already being held at the Seoul Detention Center on separate charges related to his short-lived Dec. 3 declaration of martial law. A court-issued arrest warrant would allow the special counsel team to physically bring in Yoon for questioning.
Min Joong-ki's team is investigating the former first lady on a range of allegations, including stock price manipulation, accepting luxury goods in exchange for political favors and meddling in election nominations.
Yoon faces questioning over the election meddling charges, which involve power broker Myung Tae-kyun, the special prosecutor's office said last week. The former presidential couple is suspected of influencing candidate nominations for Yoon's People Power Party in local and parliamentary elections.
The arrest warrant comes as Yoon awaits trial on charges including insurrection for his martial law declaration. The decree was quickly overturned by the National Assembly and led to Yoon's impeachment and eventual removal from office.
The former president was arrested on Jul. 10 over concerns he may destroy evidence ahead of the trial, marking Yoon's second time in custody. In January, after a weeks-long standoff using his presidential security detail, Yoon was arrested on insurrection charges. He was later released in March on procedural grounds.
Special prosecutors indicted Yoon on additional charges last week, including an allegation that he abused power by not holding a required meeting with all cabinet members before declaring martial law.
He is also accused of creating a false document claiming the full cabinet endorsed the martial law decree and later destroying it.
The insurrection charges Yoon faces are punishable by life imprisonment or the death penalty.
On Wednesday, the ruling Democratic Party launched a committee to assist the ongoing special counsel probes into Yoon. In addition to the martial law bid and corruption allegations against Kim Keon Hee, Yoon is also at the center of a third investigation over alleged interference in the probe of the 2023 death of a marine.
"We will do our utmost to ensure that the special prosecutors' investigations proceed without a hitch and restore the constitutional order and judicial system that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration has undermined," Rep. Jeon Hyun-heui, who will head the 46-member committee, said.
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