Yoon Seok-yeol's Side Plans to File Jurisdiction Dispute and Suspension of Effect Injunction for Arrest Warrant at Constitutional Court

Yoon's Side Expresses Strong Regret Over Arrest Warrant Issuance
"Will Confidently Comply with Legal Investigation According to the Law"

The court issued an arrest warrant for President Yoon Seok-yeol, who is accused of being the ringleader of a rebellion and other charges, and President Yoon's side strongly opposed it, stating that "the illegal warrant request is illegally invalid." President Yoon's side announced that they would file a constitutional complaint with the Constitutional Court regarding the issued arrest warrant and also apply for a provisional suspension of its effect.

Yoon Gap-geun, lawyer for President Yoon Seok-yeol, is announcing the position regarding the issuance of an arrest warrant requested for President Yoon in front of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 31st. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong

On the 31st, Yoon Gap-geun, the lawyer representing President Yoon, held a press conference in front of the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office and said, "It is surprising that a warrant requested by an unauthorized institution was issued," adding, "Until now, the jurisdiction of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) was the Seoul Central District Court, but it is regrettable that the warrant was requested at the Seoul Western District Court unprecedentedly."

He continued, "Whether the issuance of an illegal warrant aligns with the rule of law, our position is that illegal warrant requests are invalid."

Also, Lawyer Yoon claimed, "The CIO requested the warrant at midnight as if conducting a military operation," and "Whether by legal provisions or procedures, this is undoubtedly an illegal and invalid warrant." This implies there are issues with the CIO's arrest warrant process.

When asked if there are plans to take legal action against the warrant issuance, he said, "Since the warrant appeal system is not recognized under our criminal procedure law, there is no separate way to object," and added, "The warrant appeal system needs to be urgently introduced."

Regarding the suggestion that this was aimed at a specific investigative agency, he said, "We will follow the law as prescribed," and "It is the normal system for the police to investigate and the prosecution to request warrants." He also pointed out, "There is suspicion that they are trying to bypass this through CIO prosecutors. The joint investigation headquarters is not a legal entity."

However, Lawyer Yoon stated, "President Yoon has no reason to avoid the investigation. He has no intention to evade or delay," and "If any investigative agency proceeds with proper procedures, he will confidently comply according to the law."

Lawyer Yoon also argued that President Yoon is actually suffering harm because he is a person in power. He emphasized, "Even in general criminal cases, investigative agencies are supposed to coordinate schedules when summoning suspects, but the CIO has never coordinated schedules even once," and "This is not a privilege for the powerful but rather a situation where he is suffering harm."

He said, "President Yoon will express his opinion regarding martial law at an appropriate time," and "When the Constitutional Court hearings begin, he will have the opportunity to speak directly. He plans to appear not just once but twice."

Earlier, the CIO requested an arrest warrant at midnight the previous day after President Yoon did not comply with demands to appear as a suspect on charges of being the ringleader of a rebellion and abuse of authority three times. On the same day, Judge Lee Soon-hyung, the warrant judge at the Seoul Western District Court, issued the arrest warrant requested by the CIO against President Yoon.