South Korea’s Police Build Case Against Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol

South Korean police are formally investigating impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol for allegedly obstructing the execution of an arrest warrant, a police spokesperson confirmed on Friday.

A court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon on December 31 over charges of insurrection related to his brief martial law decree last year. However, authorities could not execute the warrant until January 15, as Yoon reportedly refused to comply and the Presidential Security Service blocked investigators.

Since January 3, police have been probing Yoon for special obstruction of public duty, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison under South Korean law. Yoon denies wrongdoing, arguing his martial law declaration on December 3 does not constitute insurrection—one of only two charges a sitting president is not immune from.

Yoon’s legal team claims his arrest was politically motivated and the warrant invalid due to procedural flaws. His lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, accused investigators of “warrant shopping” after they sought approvals from multiple courts. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which led the probe, has not commented.

If Yoon is removed from office, he will lose immunity from most criminal charges. The Constitutional Court, in the final stages of reviewing his impeachment, announced it will hear closing statements from Yoon and parliament in an upcoming session. Analysts expect a ruling by March.

This high-stakes case could determine Yoon’s political future as South Korea watches closely.