On Tuesday (June 24), South Korea's special prosecutor formally requested a court to issue an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, intensifying a growing investigation into his failed attempt to impose martial law. Yoon is already on trial for insurrection related to the martial law declaration. He was previously arrested in January after initially resisting arrest, but was released after 52 days due to procedural issues.

His attempted imposition of military rule in December shocked the nation, which had long moved past its era of military dictatorship in the 1980s. The incident led to a snap presidential election and deepened political turmoil, ultimately resulting in Yoon’s removal from office. The new arrest warrant request is linked to obstruction charges, a senior investigator confirmed. According to Park Ji-young, deputy to the special prosecutor, Yoon ignored multiple summonses for questioning, and investigators refuse to let him stall the legal process.

Yoon has been under multiple investigations related to the failed martial law bid. His legal team has yet to respond publicly to the latest development. Back in January, when authorities tried to arrest him under a court warrant, Yoon barricaded himself inside the presidential residence, aided by loyal security officials who blocked the premises.

The special prosecutor’s office was formed shortly after President Lee Jae-myung, a liberal, took office on June 4 following Yoon’s removal in April. Lee’s administration has assembled a team of over 200 prosecutors and investigators to pursue the case. Yoon continues to deny the charges, including the serious allegation of orchestrating an insurrection—an offense that carries a potential life sentence or the death penalty—arguing that his December 3 declaration of martial law was meant to protect democracy from the then-opposition Democratic Party.