South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been arrested

A Seoul court has approved an arrest warrant request, saying there are “concerns” that Yoon could “destroy evidence.”

A South Korean court has approved the formal arrest of President Yoon Suk-yeol over his decision to declare martial law last month.

The Seoul Western District Court on Sunday approved law enforcement agencies’ request for an arrest warrant for Yoon after hours of deliberation, saying there are “concerns” that Yoon could “destroy evidence.”

Last Wednesday, Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested. South Korean investigators investigating Yoon’s alleged coup on Friday asked a Seoul court to extend his detention after he refused to be questioned.

Yoon and his lawyers appeared before a court judge during a hearing on Saturday and argued for his release. His arrest could mark the start of an extended period of detention that could last months or more.

He faces possible coup charges linked to the December 3 declaration of martial law, which has triggered the country’s worst political crisis since democracy in the late 1980s.

The Office of the Investigation of Corruption for High-ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with the police and military, can now extend his detention by 20 days, during which they will transfer the case to public prosecutors for indictment.

Yoon’s lawyers can also file a petition to challenge the court’s arrest warrant.

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