Senior Judge Nam Se-jin of the Seoul Central District Court stated that the latest arrest warrant was issued due to concerns that Yoon would "destroy evidence" in the case.
The arrest followed a seven-hour hearing on Wednesday, during which Yoon, 64, denied all charges. He was taken to a detention center near Seoul to await the court's decision and was subsequently moved to a solitary cell after the warrant was issued.
The political crisis began on December 3, when Yoon attempted to subvert civilian rule by declaring martial law and dispatching armed soldiers to parliament to prevent lawmakers from voting down his declaration.
In January, he became South Korea's first sitting president to be taken into custody after weeks of resisting arrest using his presidential security detail. However, he was released in March on procedural grounds, even as his trial on insurrection charges continued.
After Yoon's impeachment was confirmed by the court in April, he again refused multiple summons from investigators, compelling them to seek his detention once more to ensure his cooperation.
During the hearing, Yoon stated he is now "fighting alone" as his lawyers are leaving him. "The special counsel is now going after even my defense lawyers," Yoon said, according to local media. "One by one, my lawyers are stepping away, and I may soon have to fight this alone."
Prosecutors can hold Yoon for up to 20 days before formally indicting him, potentially on additional charges. Yun Bok-nam, president of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, told AFP that once indicted, Yoon could be detained for up to six months.
Yoon's legal team criticized the detention request as unreasonable, stressing that Yoon has been ousted and "no longer holds any authority."
The former president also faces other accusations, including falsifying official documents and resisting a failed arrest attempt in January. The special counsel also questioned him about allegations that he authorized drone flights to Pyongyang to justify declaring martial law.
Yoon has defended his decision, arguing it was necessary to "root out" pro-North Korean and "anti-state" forces. However, when ousting Yoon from office on April 4 in a unanimous decision, the Constitutional Court declared that his actions were a "betrayal of people's trust" and a "denial of the principles of democracy."
South Korea's current president, Lee Jae Myung, who won the June snap election, approved legislation launching sweeping special investigations into Yoon's push for martial law and various criminal accusations tied to his administration and wife.
