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Special counsel prosecutors demand arrest warrant for former President Yoon

Published: 24 Jun. 2025, 18:15 Updated: 24 Jun. 2025, 18:56

YOON SO-YEON
[email protected]

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol enters the Seoul Central District Court on June 23 in southern Seoul. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Prosecutors with the special investigation team on Tuesday requested an arrest warrant against former President Yoon Suk Yeol.

Prosecutors investigating Yoon's martial law declaration on Dec. 3, 2024, said the request follows Yoon's repeated refusal to attend police questioning, as well as other summons by the investigation team.

"He has failed to attend the summons on June 19, after the special probe began on June 18," said the team on Tuesday in a statement. "He has made it clear that he will not be attending other summons, either."

The team, led by special prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, filed the request at the Seoul Central District Court, southern Seoul, at around 5:50 p.m. on Tuesday. Yoon's case was transferred to the special counsel on Monday, according to the team.

"We have come to file the request for the sake of the continuity of the investigation," said the counsel.

The warrant has been made on charges of obstruction of official duties and abuse of authority, separate from the ongoing trials over his alleged insurrection. Therefore, the counsel's request for a warrant was legal.

The special counsel has charged Yoon with ordering his security team to stop investigators from arresting him and also ordering officials to delete data from his secure phone.

"All other suspects have been questioned and [Yoon Suk Yeol is] the only person who has not complied with the summons," the counsel spokesperson said in a briefing to reporters.

"We have a deadline on the special counsel. There are things that we expect to see coming, but we will not be dragged around. The process will be executed firmly, based on the Criminal Procedure Act."

Update, June 24: More background information added.

BY YOON SO-YEON [[email protected]]