South Korea Issues First Arrest Warrant for Sitting President Yoon Suk Yeol Amid Impeachment Proceedings

In an unprecedented move, a South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of leading an insurrection during the "December 3 Martial Law Crisis." News1 reported on December 31 that heightened tensions were palpable near the presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul.

As of 8 a.m. on December 31(KST), approximately 35 meters of police line cordoned off the entrance to the presidential residence in Yongsan District. Inside the cordon stood two officers from the Presidential Security Service, while two plainclothes police officers were stationed outside.

Across the street, two riot police buses and a 20-seater minibus were parked parallel to the police line. The area between Myungbong Building and Hannam Elementary School—a 440-meter stretch—was patrolled by a mix of plainclothes and uniformed police officers. Additional police lines were pre-positioned at nearby pedestrian overpasses and key points for contingency planning.

Media access was strictly controlled. At 8:47 a.m., a photojournalist lingering near the entrance was turned away by a police officer. Reporters were allowed as far as the intersection of Hannam-daero and Hannam-daero 36-gil but were barred from photographing the residence itself.

A minute later, tensions escalated when a male protester holding a placard reading "Arrest and Detain Insurrectionist Yoon Suk Yeol" clashed with police at a crosswalk near the residence. The man argued, "The constitution guarantees personal freedom," and resisted police efforts to remove him. After a 15-minute standoff, four officers carried him off the crosswalk.

Nearby, a woman wearing a hat emblazoned with "Democratic Party" and "Lee Jae-myung" held a sign that read "Step Down, Yoon Suk Yeol," staring silently at police stationed across from her.

A man identified as Mr. A, who has frequented the area near the residence for five years, expressed his dismay to News1. "There used to be just one minibus here, but now there are riot police buses everywhere. What has happened to this country I was once so proud of?" he lamented.

Later that morning, the Seoul Western District Court issued both an arrest warrant and a search warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol. The charges include insurrection under the Criminal Act and abuse of power. The warrants were approved just 33 hours after being requested by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

This marks the first time in South Korean constitutional history that an arrest warrant has been issued for a sitting president. The warrant is valid until January 6.