SEOUL, July 10: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been taken back into judicial custody just a short while after his release, pending an independent investigation into his declaration of martial law last year.
According to the independent counsel leading the probe, the Seoul Central District Court approved a warrant for Yoon’s re-arrest early morning today, due to concerns over the possible destruction of evidence, reported CNN.
Yoon’s shocking and completely unexpected declaration of martial law in the country back in December last year, plunged South Korea into a constitutional and political crisis, as the whole nation called it as an attack on the nation’s democracy.
He reversed course within six hours, after lawmakers forced their way into national assembly and voted unanimously to block it.
Yoon was detained in January on charges of leading an insurrection and overriding the constitution, becoming the first sitting president in South Korean history to be arrested. He was released in March after the Seoul court cancelled his arrest warrant for technical reasons.
He was unanimously removed from office in April by lawmakers and parliamentary members, following what they called “a grave betrayal of public trust.”
While Yoon had issued an apology for his actions, he has continued to defend them citing security threats from “anti-state forces” and “North Korean communists” to cause political instability in South Korea.
However, most of his reasons have been attributed to political reasons due to several impeachment calls by the National Assembly, scandals surrounding his wife former First Lady Kim Keon Hee, low approval ratings, and attempts to assert authority.
Since his impeachment, he has been facing multiple criminal investigations. According to the independent counsel, Yoon is now facing charges including abuse of power and obstruction of official duties.
According to a leaked warrant request, the counsel alleged that Yoon’s decision to implement martial law was an attempt to circumvent political challenges, specifically citing the opposition party’s parliamentary majority and its initiation of impeachment proceedings against several senior officials within his administration.
The document further accused Yoon of deploying military personnel to obstruct access to the National Assembly building, reportedly to prevent lawmakers from convening to overturn his martial law decree.
Furthermore, the request details alleged orders given to “break down the doors” of the parliament and “drag people out, even if it takes firing guns,” although the former president’s legal representatives have publicly denied that he authorised the use of firearms.
The prosecution’s counsel also alleges that Yoon issued directives to his commanders to prioritise the arrest of key political figures, including then-opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who has since assumed the presidency.
The warrant request further suggests that Yoon ordered the presidential security service to obscure communication records from secure telephones used following the lifting of martial law.
Additionally, he also faces accusations of impeding warrant executions by the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) in December and January. The CIO is an independent investigation agency, looking into corruption charges of high-ranking officials.
In response to these allegations, Yoon’s legal team has issued statements characterising the warrant request as “rushed and unjustified,” while labelling the investigation itself as “flawed and politically motivated.”
They asserted that the independent counsel’s questioning during Yoon’s investigation was rudimentary regarding the specific allegations, and that the warrant request does not include charges of treason.
His lawyers have also argued that, with most involved individuals already in detention and facing trial, relevant evidence has been secured, thereby mitigating any risk of evidence destruction.
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