South Korea’s former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was detained for a second time on Thursday as prosecutors intensified their investigation into his failed attempt to impose martial law, plunging the country into political turmoil.
Yoon, 64, was accused of attempting to subvert civilian rule by ordering armed troops to storm parliament on December 3, 2024, in a bid to halt lawmakers from overturning his declaration of martial law.
The unprecedented move sparked a constitutional crisis and marked the most severe challenge to South Korea’s democracy in decades.
He became the first sitting president in the nation’s history to be arrested while in office when he was taken into custody during a dawn raid in January, following weeks of resisting arrest.
He reportedly used his presidential security detail to block investigators at the time.
He was, however, released in March on procedural grounds, though his trial on charges of insurrection and abuse of power continued.
Yoon’s second detention followed his impeachment, which the Constitutional Court upheld in April. Since then, he had defied multiple summonses from prosecutors, prompting them to seek a fresh arrest warrant over concerns he might destroy evidence or influence witnesses.
A senior Seoul Central District Court judge, Nam Se-jin, confirmed that the arrest was necessary to prevent tampering with key evidence. “There remains a high risk of evidence destruction,” the court ruled.
Yoon was transferred to a detention centre near Seoul, where he is being held in a solitary cell equipped only with a fan amid an intense summer heatwave.
Officials said his breakfast included steamed potatoes and milk. Prosecutors added that although his status as a former president would be considered, he would be treated like any other suspect.
“Investigations during the detention period will focus strictly on the charges listed in the arrest warrant,” prosecutor Park Ji-young told reporters.
A new hearing in Yoon’s ongoing criminal trial also proceeded on Thursday, although he was absent for the first time.
The previous day, the former president had appeared in court for the warrant hearing, which lasted over seven hours.
He denied all allegations and expressed frustration over his legal defence situation.
“The special counsel is now going after even my lawyers,” Yoon reportedly said during the hearing. “One by one they are stepping away. I may soon have to fight this alone.”
Under South Korean law, suspects can be held for up to 20 days following a court-issued warrant, during which prosecutors can prepare a formal indictment. Legal experts say Yoon could remain in detention for up to six months post-indictment, depending on the course of the trial.
“Theoretically, release is possible, but given the gravity of the allegations and strong evidence base, continued detention is likely,” said Yun Bok-nam, president of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society.
Yoon’s legal team has condemned the arrest as excessive and politically motivated, arguing that the former leader “no longer holds any authority” and poses no threat to the investigation.
The special counsel’s probe also covers additional allegations, including the use of drones to fabricate threats from North Korea to justify martial law, and falsification of official documents.
Yoon has continued to defend his actions as necessary to “eliminate pro–North Korean and anti-state elements” within the government, rhetoric that the Constitutional Court rejected as undemocratic.
In a landmark ruling on April 4, the court unanimously removed Yoon from office, calling his attempt to cling to power a “betrayal of the public trust” and a “denial of the principles of democracy.”
Newly elected President Lee Jae Myung, who won the June snap election, has since signed legislation authorising a special counsel to probe Yoon’s martial law attempt and corruption allegations involving his administration and wife.
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