First arrest warrant filed for Pres. Yoon

[Anchor]

This morning (12.30), the joint investigation team filed an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol.

This is the first time in constitutional history that an arrest warrant has been requested for a sitting president.

Our reporter is at the Seoul Western District Court, where the arrest warrant is currently under review.

Reporter Yeo So-yeon, when do you expect the results to come out?

[Report]

Yes, the joint investigation team, which includes the Corruption Investigation Office and the police, filed an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol around midnight today.

The warrant cites charges of insurrection and abuse of power, marking the first time an arrest warrant has been requested for a sitting president.

The joint team submitted the arrest warrant to the Seoul Western District Court.

The court is currently reviewing whether to issue the arrest warrant, and results could potentially be announced as early as today.

If the court issues the arrest warrant, it is expected that officials from the joint investigation team will execute the warrant at the president's residence within the specified date mentioned in the warrant.

Previously, search warrants for the presidential residence and other locations were denied by the security office due to reasons related to military secrets.

In response to the request for the arrest warrant, President Yoon's side stated that it is a "request for an arrest warrant by an agency without investigative authority" and submitted a related opinion to the court.

They also claimed that it does not meet the requirements for an arrest warrant under the Criminal Procedure Act, arguing that it constitutes "illegal investigation."

Therefore, even if the arrest warrant is issued by the court, President Yoon may refuse it, which could lead to a physical confrontation between the joint investigation team and the security office trying to prevent the execution of the warrant.

A police special investigation team official, seemingly aware of these concerns, explained that they will review various variables before executing the arrest warrant.

The Corruption Investigation Office also stated that they would send an official document to the security office, indicating that refusal to execute the arrest warrant could constitute obstruction of official duties.

This has been Yeo So-yeon reporting from the Seoul Western District Court for KBS News.