South Korea's anti-corruption agency seeks to extend the detention of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after he refused to cooperate with investigators. This follows his arrest for an alleged insurrection when he briefly imposed martial law. Yoon's legal team denies the charges and argues for a more careful consideration of the arrest's legality. The situation has deepened political divisions in South Korea, with Yoon's supporters rallying around him.
SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea ’s anti-corruption agency announced on Friday that it would petition a Seoul court to extend the detention of arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol . This comes after the impeached leader again refused to cooperate with investigators. On Wednesday, Yoon became the first sitting South Korea n president to be arrested as part of an investigation into whether he committed insurrection when he briefly imposed martial law in early December.
He is currently held at the Seoul Detention Center. To maintain Yoon's custody for an extended period, investigators at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), leading the inquiry, are required to submit a request to the court for a detention warrant valid for up to 20 days. \'I think you can consider it almost finished,' a CIO official stated to reporters, responding to inquiries about the possibility of filing a request to detain Yoon further. The official informed the press that Yoon's current arrest term was scheduled to expire by Friday evening. The Seoul Central District Court dismissed a challenge raised by Yoon's lawyers on Thursday regarding the legality of his arrest. The former president has obstructed efforts by the CIO to interrogate him both on Thursday and Friday, while his party has leveraged political polarization to enhance its approval ratings since Yoon's arrest, according to polling data. \'He has fully expressed his fundamental stance on the first day (of the arrest), and we believe there is no justification or necessity to engage in a question-and-answer format,' stated Yoon's lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, in a press release. Yoon's legal team vehemently denies that Yoon orchestrated an insurrection, a crime in South Korea punishable by life imprisonment or, technically, the death penalty. Seok asserted on Friday that he anticipated investigators to seek a detention warrant but expressed hope that the court would meticulously examine the 'illegality' of the arrest when reviewing the warrant. South Korea is confronting its most severe political crisis in decades, triggered by Yoon's brief attempt to impose martial law on December 3, an action that shocked the nation and was swiftly rejected by parliament. Yoon was impeached on December 14 and faces a Constitutional Court trial that commenced this week to determine whether to permanently strip him of his powers or reinstate him to office. Opinion polls indicate that a majority of South Koreans support his impeachment, but Yoon's legal predicament and defiance regarding his arrest appear to have galvanized some of his supporters. The approval rating for Yoon's governing People Power Party surged to 39% in a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday, surpassing the main opposition Democratic Party at 36% for the first time since August. This marked a significant increase from 34% a week earlier. Gallup Korea attributed this shift to Yoon and his party's persistent communication with their supporters amidst deepening political divisions surrounding his arrest. Yoon's arrest followed a weeks-long standoff, during which over 3,000 police officers stormed his residence. A prior attempt to arrest him on January 3 proved unsuccessful after an hours-long standoff between investigators and Yoon's personal security. Kim Sung-hoon, acting chief of the Presidential Security Service, was arrested on Friday for impeding investigators' initial attempt on January 3 to apprehend Yoon, according to Yonhap. Speaking to reporters, Kim maintained that he was fulfilling his 'legitimate security duties' and denied accusations by some opposition lawmakers that Yoon instructed guards to employ weapons against investigators attempting to arrest him.
South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol Impeachment Martial Law Corruption Arrest Detention Politics Constitutional Court
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
South Korea's Constitutional Court Begins Impeachment Trial of President YoonThe Constitutional Court in South Korea has started the impeachment trial of President Yoon Suk Yeol after parliament voted to remove him from office over his attempt to impose martial law.
Read more »
South Korea Seeks Arrest Warrant for Suspended President Yoon Over Martial LawSouth Korea's joint investigation unit has requested an arrest warrant for suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding his brief declaration of martial law earlier this month, according to the Yonhap news agency.
Read more »
South Korea Seeks Arrest Warrant for Ex-President Yoon Over Martial LawSouth Korean authorities are investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief declaration of martial law and have requested an arrest warrant for him on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion.
Read more »
South Korea Seeks to Detain Impeached President Yoon Suk YeolSouth Korean authorities are pursuing a warrant to detain former President Yoon Suk Yeol, alleging that his declaration of martial law on December 3rd constituted treason.
Read more »
South Korea Seeks to Detain Impeached President YoonSouth Korean authorities are seeking to detain former President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning regarding his controversial martial law decree.
Read more »
South Korea Seeks Arrest Warrant for President Yoon Over Martial LawSouth Korean authorities are seeking an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol due to his controversial declaration of martial law. The move has sparked significant political turmoil and public protests.
Read more »