South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) filed an arrest warrant against President Yoon Suk-yeol on rebellion charges on Monday, marking the first time in the country’s history that a sitting president faces such legal action. The warrant, submitted to the Seoul Western District Court on Monday, alleges that Yoon orchestrated unconstitutional actions, including declaring martial law and attempting to arrest lawmakers and illegally seizing the National Election Commission’s servers. The CIO cited Yoon’s repeated refusal to respond to three summonses as grounds for seeking the warrant.

Yoon’s legal team rebuffed the allegations, asserting that the CIO lacks jurisdiction over rebellion charges and describing the warrant as legally baseless. While the CIO maintains that the rebellion charges are linked to its abuse of power investigation, Yoon’s team has framed the move as a politically motivated overreach. If the warrant is approved, questions remain about how it will be executed, given the president’s security detail and potential resistance from his supporters.