Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Detained Amid Insurrection Investigation

Seoul, South Korea —

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been detained again as part of an independent investigation into his declaration of martial law last year.

According to the independent counsel overseeing the investigation, the Seoul Central District Court approved a warrant for Yoon’s re-arrest early Thursday, citing concerns regarding the potential destruction of evidence.

Background

In December, Yoon declared martial law, which led to a constitutional situation in South Korea. He reversed the declaration within six hours after lawmakers entered parliament and voted to block it.

Yoon was initially detained in January on charges related to leading an insurrection, marking the first instance of a sitting South Korean president being arrested while in office. He was released in March after the Seoul court canceled his arrest warrant due to technical reasons.

In April, the Constitutional Court unanimously decided to remove Yoon from office, describing his actions as a significant breach of public trust.

Ongoing Investigations and Charges

Yoon is currently subject to several criminal investigations. According to the independent counsel, he faces charges including abuse of power and obstruction of official duties.

A leaked warrant request alleges that Yoon declared martial law in response to political gridlock caused by the opposition party’s majority in the National Assembly and the impeachment of several senior officials.

He is accused of deploying troops to prevent lawmakers from entering the national assembly building to overturn the decree, and of instructing security forces to forcibly remove individuals from parliament. Yoon’s legal representatives deny that he ordered the use of firearms.

The counsel also alleges that Yoon instructed his commander to prioritize the arrest of key political figures, including the then opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who is now the president. Additional accusations include directing the presidential security service to obscure communication records from secure phones used after the martial law was lifted.

Further, Yoon is accused of obstructing warrant executions by the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) in December and January by mobilizing the presidential security detail and authorizing the use of force.

Legal Response

Yoon’s lawyers stated that the warrant request was expedited and not justified, and described the investigation as flawed. They indicated that the independent counsel’s questions during Yoon’s investigation were limited to basic aspects of the allegations, and that the warrant request did not include any treason charges.

They also stated that most individuals involved have already been detained and are currently on trial, asserting that all relevant evidence has been secured and that there is no risk of evidence being destroyed.

Independent counsel teams were established to investigate Yoon following his removal from office and the subsequent election of Lee in a snap presidential election in June.