S. Korean ex-president arrested for 2nd time over martial law declaration

Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol was arrested for the second time on July 10 after a court issued a warrant to place him in custody over his short-lived martial law declaration in December.

The Seoul Central District Court accepted the issuance request from Cho Eun-suk, independent counsel leading the investigation into Yoon's insurrection and other charges, saying Yoon was feared to destroy evidence, according to Xinhua.

The special counsel team's spokesperson said key charges specified in the warrant included the obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and writing a bogus official document.

The team also accused Yoon of violating the rights of cabinet members by excluding the majority of them from a key meeting before declaring martial law on Dec 3.

The special counsel team launched its investigation on June 18. It sought the detention to keep Yoon in custody for an extended period of time, or at least 20 days.

A separate warrant to arrest Yoon for up to 48 hours was sought last month, but it was dismissed by the Seoul court.

Yoon was first arrested in January before he was officially impeached and removed from office in April over the declaration of martial law. He was released in March after a court accepted his request to cancel the arrest and the prosecutors decided not to appeal against the release approval.

Following the latest arrest, Yoon did not attend his insurrection trial on July 10, saying it was due to health reasons. It was the first time he was absent from the trial.

If convicted of insurrection, Yoon could face a maximum penalty of life in prison or death, according to Yonhap News Agency.

kelly@chinadailyapac.com