South Korea Clears Way to Detain President in Martial Law Inquiry

A court in South Korea cleared the way for officials to detain President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning on Tuesday, as the authorities investigated whether his declaration of martial law this month, which plunged the country into political crisis, amounted to an insurrection.

The court order stops short of a formal arrest warrant. The warrant issued on Tuesday only allowed investigators to detain him for questioning for a limited period of time; they need a separate warrant from a court to formally arrest him. But it is a sign that officials have grown impatient with Mr. Yoon’s refusal to answer questions about his actions, and could lead to a potential arrest and indictment.

It remained unclear how Mr. Yoon and his secret service bodyguards would react to an attempt to detain him for questioning. There was no immediate comment from Mr. Yoon or his lawyers.

Mr. Yoon, who was impeached by parliament on Dec. 14, is the first sitting president of South Korea to face a criminal investigation.

The opposition has accused Mr. Yoon ​of committing insurrection when he declared martial law on Dec. 3, and of sending troops to the National Assembly to try to block lawmakers from voting to overturn his move.

Images of soldiers with assault rifles streaming out of military helicopters and then trying to take over the National Assembly building caused widespread shock and outrage in South Korea, a country with a long history of political violence and military rule.

Lawmakers managed to gather and vote against martial law, forcing Mr. Yoon to rescind his order within hours. Despite the retreat, his failed maneuver has further emboldened the opposition, which pushed to impeach him, and infuriated a wide segment of South Koreans, who have marched in the tens of thousands against him.

With the support of his People Power Party, Mr. Yoon survived an impeachment vote in the National Assembly on Dec. 7. But a second vote a week later led to him being impeached after a dozen lawmakers from his own party sided with the opposition motion.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, a nonelected official with no popular mandate, stepped in as interim leader, but then was himself impeached on Dec. 27 after a standoff with parliament over judicial appointments. Choi Sang-mok, the finance minister and deputy prime minister, is the current interim leader.

Mr. Yoon, who is barred from leaving the country, could face the death penalty if he is convicted of insurrection and a court rules that he led it. His former defense minister has been arrested on charges of participating in an insurrection. The heads of the national police agency and the Seoul metropolitan police have also been detained for questioning on their roles during the martial law crisis.