Martial law fallout: Court Okays arrest of former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol; risk of evidence tampering cited

A South Korean court has approved the arrest of former president Yoon Suk Yeol on charges linked to his brief declaration of martial law in December, news agency Associated Press reported. The court accepted the special prosecutor’s argument that Yoon may try to destroy evidence.

Yoon, who was removed from office in April after the Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment, will return to a detention center near Seoul. He had been released from that same facility in March after the Seoul Central District Court overturned his earlier arrest from January, allowing him to face trial for rebellion while remaining out of custody.

Yoon’s legal team criticised the latest arrest request, calling it “excessive” and claiming it “lacked evidence.”

The former president said his martial law order on December 3 last year was a necessary step to stop "anti-state" liberal opponents. He accused them of blocking his policies by using their legislative majority. The martial law lasted only a few hours. It was overturned after enough lawmakers entered the National Assembly, which was surrounded by soldiers, and voted to cancel it.

Lawmakers impeached Yoon on December 14. On January 26, public prosecutors charged him with attempting rebellion. Prosecutors said Yoon tried to illegally take control of the legislature and election offices, and to detain political rivals. These charges can lead to a life sentence or the death penalty.