In an unprecedented move, a South Korean court approved an arrest warrant on Tuesday for President Yoon Suk Yeol, following his impeachment and suspension from office. The decision stems from Yoon’s controversial imposition of martial law in early December, which has triggered a political crisis in the nation.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO) confirmed that the Seoul Western District Court issued the warrant as part of an investigation into allegations of insurrection. Under South Korean law, a sitting president does not have immunity from charges of rebellion or treason.

The arrest warrant remains valid until January 6, and if enforced, Yoon is expected to be detained at the Seoul Detention Center, according to Yonhap News Agency. His legal team has vowed to challenge the warrant, arguing that the CIO lacks the legal authority to request it. Yoon’s lawyers plan to file an injunction with the Constitutional Court to block its execution.

The arrest warrant comes amid Yoon’s ongoing impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court. The president’s declaration of martial law on December 3, which sought to ban political activities and censor the media, marked South Korea’s first such action since the 1980s. The move prompted public outrage after troops entered the National Assembly but were driven back by aides using fire extinguishers. Lawmakers swiftly voted to annul the decree, and Yoon rescinded it hours later.

The fallout from these events has been swift. After narrowly surviving an initial impeachment vote, Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly on December 14, with members of his own party joining opposition lawmakers in the vote.

South Korea’s political landscape remains volatile. After Yoon’s suspension, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo briefly acted as president but was subsequently impeached by the opposition-controlled parliament. Acting leadership now rests with Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, who is simultaneously managing the aftermath of the Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 crash, South Korea’s deadliest air disaster, which claimed 179 lives.

The Constitutional Court will hold its next hearing on Yoon’s impeachment trial this Friday. Meanwhile, the arrest warrant raises questions about how law enforcement will proceed if efforts are made to detain the suspended president, given the potential for clashes with Yoon’s security detail.

This historic and contentious development has left South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key U.S. ally, navigating one of the most tumultuous periods in its modern history.