South Korean court issues arrest warrant for ex-president Yoon

A South Korean court on Thursday issued an arrest warrant for former president Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law bid last year, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Nam Se-jin, a senior judge at Seoul’s Central District Court, issued the warrant over concerns that Yoon could destroy evidence, placing him in custody for the second time, according to Yonhap.

Yoon was formally stripped of office in April, after being impeached and suspended by lawmakers over his December 3 attempt to subvert civilian rule, which saw armed soldiers deployed to parliament.

The ex-president and his lawyers attended the hearing and rejected all charges before he was taken to Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, to await the court’s decision, Yonhap said Thursday.

Last week, the courts dismissed an arrest warrant requested by prosecutors after Yoon initially refused to appear for questioning, citing that he had since expressed a willingness to comply with future summons.