South Korean Special Counsel Seeks Arrest Warrant for Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol on July 6 Over Martial Law Abuse and Obstruction Charges

South Korea's special counsel investigating the December 3, 2024, martial law declaration has filed a request to detain former President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges related to insurrection, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and falsification of documents. The special investigation team led by Cho Eun-seok submitted the arrest warrant application on July 6, 2025, following two rounds of questioning of Yoon by the prosecution. Earlier, the court had rejected a previous arrest warrant request, and Yoon has repeatedly refused to appear for summonses, with the special counsel considering further legal procedures due to his non-compliance. The investigation also involves other officials linked to the martial law declaration, including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former Presidential Security Service Deputy Director Kim Seong-hoon, former Chief of Staff Kim Joo-hyun, and former Marine Corps commanders such as Im Seong-geun and Kim Gye-hwan, who have been summoned for questioning. The special counsel has set a final summons for Yoon on July 5, 2025, and continues to probe the alleged insurrection and related abuses of authority during Yoon's short-lived martial law imposition last year.