South Korean Authorities Pursue Arrest Warrant for Army Special Warfare Command Chief in Martial Law Investigation
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Seoul, Dec 15 (NationPress) On Sunday, South Korean authorities sought an arrest warrant for the leader of the Army Special Warfare Command due to his involvement in President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief declaration of martial law.
Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-keun stands accused of deploying troops to the National Assembly during the martial law declaration on December 3 and allegedly collaborating with Yoon and former Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun to instigate a riot aimed at undermining the Constitution.
Authorities are pursuing the arrest warrant on grounds of insurrection and abuse of power.
On Saturday, the National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol for his flawed implementation of martial law, suspending him from his responsibilities until the Constitutional Court rules on his potential reinstatement or removal, with citizens celebrating the impeachment.
The impeachment motion was approved with a vote of 204-85, including three abstentions and eight invalid ballots, after all 300 members of the Assembly participated in the voting.
This decision followed a surprising announcement 11 days prior, when Yoon declared martial law, which sparked public outrage as troops surrounded the National Assembly in an apparent attempt to prevent lawmakers from reversing the decree.
The martial law order was rescinded within six hours of the Assembly's vote, leading to investigations by the police, the prosecution, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials to determine if Yoon orchestrated an insurrection. He is currently prohibited from leaving the country.
In a televised address from his residence, Yoon stated he is 'pausing momentarily' but will not cease the journey he initiated with the people toward the future.
"I will never give up," he affirmed. "I will embrace all the censure, encouragement and support directed at me and do my utmost for the nation until the end."
Yoon was officially suspended from his duties at 7:24 pm, coinciding with the delivery of the impeachment resolution to his office, approximately 2.5 hours after the motion was passed.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo promptly assumed the role of acting president and convened a Cabinet meeting at the government complex in Seoul, according to the Yonhap news agency.
"The most crucial task at this moment is to swiftly stabilize the confusion in state affairs and restore to the people their invaluable everyday lives," he remarked in his opening address, directing all public officials to remain focused, maintain a robust security posture, and monitor the economy in real time.
In a separate address to the nation, he expressed his apologies once again for the current situation while vowing the government's commitment to mitigating its effects on citizens' daily lives.
He also convened the National Security Council later and emphasized the need to maintain a 'watertight readiness posture' against provocations from North Korea.
