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In a dramatic turn of events, South Korean prosecutors have filed an arrest warrant for former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The warrant accuses Han of aiding ex-president Yoon Suk-yeol in declaring martial law, as well as charges including aiding the ringleader of insurrection, perjury, fabricating official documents, and damaging public records.
The arrest warrant comes after Han's presidential bid collapsed when Yoon's party refused to nominate him as its standard-bearer. Han had resigned from the acting presidency to pursue a presidential bid, but his ambitions were thwarted when Yoon's presidential bid was formally removed from office by the Constitutional Court due to a violation of the constitution.
The martial law declaration, the first in more than 40 years, occurred on December 3. Yoon's deployment included armed soldiers to the National Assembly, but the declaration was swiftly voted down by opposition MPs.
Han, who served as acting president after Yoon's impeachment, defended his role in the martial law declaration, stating that his duty was to guarantee the president's duty to safeguard the nation and the constitution. However, prosecutor Park Ji-young argued that these considerations formed the basis of the request for an arrest warrant against Han.
If approved, Han's detention would mark the first time in South Korean history that a former president and a prime minister are imprisoned simultaneously. Former first lady Kim Keon-hee is currently in prison on stock manipulation charges.
Han was once considered a strong candidate of the conservative bloc for a snap election. His resignation from the acting presidency and subsequent presidential bid had raised hopes among conservatives, but his arrest warrant has dealt a significant blow to his political aspirations.
The court will now review the validity of the warrant to detain Han. The outcome of this review could have significant implications for South Korean politics and the ongoing investigation into the martial law declaration.
