South Korean authorities are seeking an arrest warrant for the ousted president in a martial law investigation

South Korean police have requested an arrest warrant for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol as they investigate whether his temporary martial law decision on December 3 amounted to treason.

The Office of the High Commissioner for Corruption, which is leading a joint investigation by police and military officials into the power grab that lasted only a few hours, confirmed it had requested the warrant on Monday. Investigators plan to question Yoon on charges of abuse of power and plotting a coup.

Yoon has resisted multiple requests by the joint investigation team and public prosecutors to appear for questioning and has also resisted searches of his offices.

It is not clear whether the court will issue a warrant to compel Yoon to appear for interrogation.

Under the country’s laws, properties potentially linked to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without a warrant, and Yoon is unlikely to voluntarily leave his residence if he faces arrest.

Yoon’s presidential power was suspended after the National Assembly voted to impeach him on December 14 for his imposition of martial law that lasted a few hours but has caused weeks of political turmoil, stalled negotiations and rallied financial markets. Yoon’s fate now rests with the Constitutional Court. Discussions have begun on whether to approve the impeachment and legal removal of Yoon from office or reinstate him.

Yoon defended the martial law decision as a necessary act of governance, describing it as a warning against the opposition Democratic Party, which has been disrupting his agenda with its majority in parliament.

Last week, Parliament voted to censure Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who took over as acting president after Yoon’s impeachment, for refusing to fill three Constitutional Court vacancies before the court’s review of Yoon’s case.

The country’s new interim leader is Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who is also the finance minister.