S. Korea's joint investigation unit seeks extension of arrest warrant for Yoon

South Korea's joint investigation unit said on Monday that it has sought the extension of the arrest warrant for the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol over his short-lived martial law imposition.

The investigation unit, composed of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), the National Office of Investigation (NOI) of the Korean National Police Agency, and the defense ministry's investigative headquarters, said in a notice that it requested the Seoul Western District Court to extend the arrest warrant against Yoon, which the same court issued on December 31 last year.

The extension request came after a botched attempt to detain Yoon last week.

The CIO investigators and police officers attempted to arrest the impeached president in the presidential residence on January 3. However, the presidential security service blocked the execution of the arrest warrant, which expires at midnight on January 6.

The impeachment motion against Yoon was passed in the National Assembly on December 14, 2024. It was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.

Yoon, who investigative agencies named as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared martial law on the night of December 3, which the National Assembly revoked.