Late Thursday night, a Seoul court approved an arrest warrant for Lee on charges that include bribery, embezzlement, tax evasion and abuse of power.
Lee, 76, who was president from 2008 to early 2013, has been the focus of a prosecution probe for five months.
He allegedly took more than 11 billion won (US$10.2 million) in bribes from the state spy agency and businesses. He is also suspected of embezzling about 35 billion won from a company that he is said to secretly own.
If convicted on all charges, he could face up to 45 years in prison.
Comprehensive analysis by political commentator Jung-sik Seo is available on audio news.
