Arrest warrant for impeached president 'illegal,' Yoon Suk-yeol's lawyer says

On Dec. 31, a South Korean court approved an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on charges of suspected insurrection. Yoon's lawyer subsequently conveyed his statement, saying that Yoon will respond appropriately if the arrest warrant is legal, but currently, the warrant is considered "illegal and invalid."

The court's decision marked the first time in the country's modern history that an arrest warrant was issued against a sitting president.

"The reason for the warrant is that there is a concern that the individual may refuse to comply with summons without justifiable reasons, and there is sufficient probable cause to suspect the commission of a crime," a Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) official told reporters at a briefing today.

"The warrant is valid until January 6," the official said, adding that Yoon could be held at a police station or the Seoul detention center.

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