ICC Arrest Warrants for Heads of State and Others: Implications for the Republic of Korea

The International Criminal Court ( ICC ) is the first permanent international tribunal established to prosecute serious crimes, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for several heads of state. States Parties typically enact domestic laws to implement the Rome Statute, ensuring compliance with their obligations to the ICC . The Republic of Korea is a State Party to the Rome Statute and is therefore obligated to cooperate with the ICC in its investigations and prosecutions. The Korean ICC Act includes provisions for cooperation with the ICC by applying existing extradition and mutual assistance laws. However, the Korean ICC Act includes only two articles regarding cooperation with the ICC , which simply stipulate that the Extradition Act and the Act on International Judicial Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters shall apply mutatis mutandis .