Arrest warrant extended for suspended South Korean president

A Seoul court on Tuesday extended the arrest warrant for South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol at the request of the country’s anti-corruption authorities.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) is now expected to try again to enact the warrant, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing local officials.

The original warrant expired at midnight on Monday (1500 GMT) after the CIO failed to detain Yoon for his botched imposition of martial law on December 3 during a budget dispute with the opposition.

On Friday, dozens of operatives had tried for more than five hours to make the arrest.

However, around 200 members of the army and security service stood in their way on the grounds of the president’s residence. The CIO action was eventually cancelled for security reasons.

Yoon, 64, is still in his residence, which is shielded by high walls and guarded by dozens of members of the presidential security service. Hundreds of his supporters are also camped out in front of the entrance to the property.

In mid-December, lawmakers removed Yoon from office until further notice on charges of abuse of power and sedition, with the Constitutional Court currently reviewing the decision.

For the time being, the former finance minister and deputy prime minister Choi Sang Mok is in charge of state affairs.