South Korea court approves arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol over martial law charges

A South Korean court has approved a request to issue an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol over allegations of declaring martial law and attempting a coup, Yonhap News Agency reported.

"The Seoul Western District Court has issued an arrest warrant for Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of proclaiming martial law on December 3, attempting to orchestrate a rebellion, and abuse of power," the report stated.

The warrant was requested by a special investigative team probing the case against Yoon, following his failure to comply with three subpoenas for questioning.

Earlier this month, the South Korean parliament removed Yoon from power after his controversial attempt to impose martial law on December 3 in a bid to suppress political opposition. The move sparked public outrage, leading lawmakers to swiftly vote to annul the martial law declaration.

Han Duck-soo was appointed as acting president following Yoon’s suspension. However, parliament later impeached Han, replacing him with First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho, who pledged to prioritize national stability.

Several officials allegedly linked to the martial law declaration have been detained, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and the current and former chiefs of the military's intelligence command, Moon Sang-ho and Noh Sang-won.

The political upheaval has further intensified South Korea’s internal turmoil as the nation seeks a path to restore democratic stability.