Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Yang Sung-tae was arrested early Thursday on charges of power abuse, becoming the first former or sitting head of the nation's judiciary to ever be put behind bars. 
 
The Seoul Central District Court issued the writ at around 2 a.m. The presiding judge explained that most of Yang's charges are proven and that he presents a risk of destroying evidence given his position and the seriousness of the case. 

Yang was immediately taken into custody at the Seoul Detention Center where he was awaiting the result of the court hearing, held the day before.

He is accused of using politically sensitive trials as bargaining chips to win support from the former Park Geun-hye government to establish a separate court of appeals. He has also been charged with creating a blacklist of judges who opposed his plan. 

Meanwhile, the court denied the arrest warrant for Yang's key aide and former head of the top court's governing body Park Byong-dae for his involvement in the power abuse scandal, saying it's hard to acknowledge the need to place the suspect in custody.