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

SEOUL -- South Korea's joint investigation unit said 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 was issued by the same court on Dec 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 Jan 3, but it failed as the presidential security service blocked the execution of the arrest warrant set to expire at midnight Monday.

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

Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared martial law on the night of Dec 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.