South Korean Court Orders Arrest of Former President Yoon Suk-yeol

A South Korean court has authorized the arrest of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, allowing authorities to compel his presence for questioning. This action stems from allegations of election interference, according to a special counsel team.

The warrant was issued by the Seoul Central District Court. It was requested by a team of independent counsel, led by Min Joong-ki, who is investigating corruption allegations involving Yoon's wife, Kim Keon-hee.

Yoon, currently detained on insurrection charges following a brief period of martial law last December, had previously ignored two summonses from the special counsel to appear for questioning.

Reports from various media outlets indicate that an assistant special counsel and a prosecutor are expected to visit the Seoul Detention Center, where Yoon is being held.

The former leader and his wife are suspected of receiving complimentary opinion polls from Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed political broker. This exchange allegedly occurred before the 2022 presidential election and was in return for the illegal nomination of a former People Power Party lawmaker in a subsequent parliamentary by-election.

Furthermore, Yoon is suspected of making false statements during the 2021 presidential primaries. These statements concerned his wife's alleged involvement in stock price manipulation, which is considered a violation of election law.