A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for impeached and suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol, investigators said on Tuesday, over his short-lived bid to impose martial law.
Yoon briefly suspended civilian rule on December 3, plunging South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.
He was stripped of his presidential duties by parliament over the action but a constitutional court ruling is pending on whether to confirm the impeachment.
“The arrest warrant and search warrant… were issued this morning,” the Joint Investigation Headquarters said in a statement.
The conservative leader faces criminal charges of insurrection, which could result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
Investigators probing Yoon over his declaration of martial law requested the warrant on Monday after he failed to report for questioning a third time.
“There is a concern that the individual may refuse to comply with summons without justifiable reasons,” a Corruption Investigation Office official told reporters on Tuesday.
The official said there was “sufficient probable cause” to suspect the commission of a crime, with the warrant valid until January 6 and Yoon likely to be held at the Seoul detention centre.
Yoon’s lawyer called the warrant “illegal and invalid”, saying investigators lacked the authority to probe the president.
“The arrest warrant and search and seizure warrant issued at the request of an agency without investigative authority are illegal and invalid,” a statement sent to AFP by lawyer Yoon Kab-keun said.