Latest news with #PresidentialSecurityAct
Barnama
6 days ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Special Counsel Seeks Arrest Of South Korean Ex-President Yoon For Martial Law Bid
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol (C) leaves the Seoul High Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul after hourslong questioning by the special counsel on July 5, 2025, over a series of allegations in connection with his botched imposition of martial law in December. (Photo Credit Yonhap) SEOUL, July 6 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- A special counsel sought a warrant on Sunday to arrest former President Yoon Suk Yeol over allegations related to his declaration of martial law, Yonhap News Agency reported. The independent counsel, led by Cho Eun-suk, filed an arrest warrant request with the Seoul Central District Court against Yoon for alleged abuse of power, falsification of official documents, violation of the Presidential Security Act and obstruction of special official duties, among other charges, in connection with his declaration of martial law on Dec 3, according to officials from the counsel team. The specific reasons for the warrant request were not disclosed. bootstrap slideshow The counsel has conducted an intensive investigation into Yoon over insurrection and other charges since its launch last month. Most recently, Yoon was summoned and underwent several hours of questioning on Saturday. Yoon has completely denied the allegations during in-person interrogations, raising concerns about possible destruction of evidence or collusion with accomplices, according to the officials. Yoon is alleged to have attempted to block investigators from executing a court warrant to detain him in January. He is also suspected of directing the Presidential Security Service to delete records from secure phones used by several military commanders following his failed martial law bid. The investigation has further focused on suspicions that Yoon had hastily convened a Cabinet meeting on the night of the martial law declaration to meet the quorum required to enforce the decree. The treason charge, however, was not included in the warrant. The former president is alleged to have ordered a military drone operations unit to deploy drones over Pyongyang to fabricate a justification for declaring martial law.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
South Korea: Special counsel seeks warrant to arrest ex-President Yoon in martial law case
A special counsel sought a warrant Sunday to arrest former President Yoon Suk Yeol over allegations related to his declaration of martial law, officials said. The independent counsel, led by Cho Eun-suk, filed an arrest warrant request with the Seoul Central District Court against Yoon for alleged abuse of power, falsification of official documents, violation of the Presidential Security Act and obstruction of special official duties, among other charges, in connection with his declaration of martial law on December 3, according to officials from the counsel team. The specific reasons for the warrant request were not disclosed, Yonhap news agency reported. The counsel has conducted an intensive investigation into Yoon over insurrection and other charges since its launch last month. Most recently, Yoon was summoned and underwent several hours of questioning on Saturday. Yoon has completely denied the allegations during in-person interrogations, raising concerns about possible destruction of evidence or collusion with accomplices, according to the officials. Yoon is alleged to have attempted to block investigators from executing a court warrant to detain him in January. He is also suspected of directing the Presidential Security Service to delete records from secure phones used by several military commanders following his failed martial law bid. The investigation has further focused on suspicions that Yoon had hastily convened a Cabinet meeting on the night of the martial law declaration to meet the quorum required to enforce the decree. The treason charge, however, was not included in the warrant. The former president is alleged to have ordered a military drone operations unit to deploy drones over Pyongyang to fabricate a justification for declaring martial law. "The treason allegation is still under investigation. As a significant portion of the inquiry remains, it was not included in the arrest warrant," Deputy Special Counsel Park Ji-young told a press briefing. Yoon's side pushed back, calling the move "excessive and unwarranted." "We have fully explained the allegations and made it clear that no crime can be established under the law," Yoon's legal team said in a statement. "The special counsel has not presented any objective evidence." Yoon was detained on January 15, after ignoring three summonses from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which was investigating the martial law incident. He was then formally arrested, becoming the first sitting South Korean president to be taken into custody. But the Seoul Central District Court accepted Yoon's request to cancel the arrest, and he was released on March 8 after 52 days in detention.
Korea Herald
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Yoon Suk Yeol to receive state protection for up to 10 years as ex-president
Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol has been removed from power and lost the rights and privileges previously bestowed upon him as South Korea's president, but he will still be subject to protection provided by the Presidential Security Service as a former leader. The Presidential Security Act states in the Article 4-3 that a president and his or her spouse shall be protected by the presidential bodyguards for 10 years after their term is concluded. If the president steps down from office before the end of their term -- such as via death or removal as in Yoon's case -- the protection period is shortened to five years. This means Yoon will basically be guarded by the PSS until 2030, but a subclause of Article 4-6 of the same act states that a president could be guarded for up to five more years than the period set in Article 4-3. The protection provided by the PSS includes conventional protection along with patrol of the areas surrounding Yoon's home in cooperation with local police forces. Officials could also protect the former first couple during transportation via land and air if necessary, upon their request. Ex-President Park Geun-hye, the only other president in the country's history removed from power via impeachment, is to slated to be protected by the presidential bodyguards until March 2027. Yoon, who was inaugurated as president in May 2022, was removed from office Friday after the Constitutional Court decided to uphold his impeachment by the parliament, effective immediately. The opposition-led National Assembly passed the motion for his impeachment in December, holding him accountable for insurrection and abuse of power for his orders related to his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law.
