A South Korean court has issued an arrest warrant for the president.

The Seoul District Court has issued an arrest warrant for South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol, who attempted to impose martial law in the country on December 3. He has been impeached and accused of insurrection.

This is reported by BBC.

Yoon Seok-yeol has ignored summonses for questioning three times in the past two weeks, leading investigators to submit a request for an arrest warrant to the court on Sunday evening.

Currently, Yoon Seok-yeol's whereabouts are unknown. He is prohibited from leaving the country.

It is noted that investigators only have until January 6 to arrest the president, as they will need to request an extension of the warrant from the court afterward.

Whether the investigation will successfully arrest Yoon Seok-yeol remains uncertain, as the president's security and supporters may obstruct the process.

The security team has previously prevented investigators from entering the presidential office and his private residence, despite the existence of a search warrant for these premises.

In South Korea's history, there have been instances where authorities refrained from attempting to arrest prominent politicians due to interference from their entourages and supporters.

Yoon Seok-yeol's lawyers declared the warrant illegal on Monday, asserting that investigators have no grounds to arrest him, as the president has the constitutional right to declare martial law.

Yoon Seok-yeol himself dismissed the allegations of insurrection in early December, stating that the imposition of martial law was a "politically calculated decision" made to protect the state from an opposition that had paralyzed government operations.

Officially, Yoon Seok-yeol remains the president. He has been suspended from presidential duties since December 14, when the parliament voted for his impeachment.

However, for him to be removed from office, the impeachment must still be approved by the Constitutional Court of South Korea.

Background. It is worth noting that a former South Korean Defense Minister attempted suicide in jail. Following the unsuccessful attempt, the ex-official is currently in a protective cell.