
The deadline for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol’s detention has been pushed back to 9:05 p.m. Friday, as the embattled South Korean leader once again refused to be interrogated regarding charges of insurrection and abuse of power.
The initial detention period for Yoon, which began at 10:33 a.m. on Wednesday, was supposed to end at the same time on Friday, but was pushed back to around 9:05 p.m. due to the Seoul Central District Court’s Thursday review of the legality of Yoon’s arrest warrant, the time spent on which is not to be included in the detention period.
The court decided after a two-hour review that both Yoon’s detention and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials' investigation into Yoon is justified. The president's lawyers had claimed that the investigation and arrest warrant were illegal.
According to the CIO, the official documents for the petition were registered with the court at 2:03 p.m. on Thursday and returned to the CIO at around 12:35 a.m. Friday, meaning the deadline for Yoon's arrest has been pushed back by 10 hours and 32 minutes.
The agency plans to request a second, extended arrest warrant for Yoon as soon as possible on Friday.
Prior to filing the arrest warrant, the CIO was to question Yoon at 10 a.m. Friday. The investigation was canceled after the president refused to comply.
Yoon’s legal team justified his absence in stating, "We fully conveyed our basic stance during the first investigation," adding there is neither the reason nor necessity to respond to interrogative questioning.
During the first round of questioning Wednesday, Yoon reportedly asserted that "the declaration of martial law falls under the constitutional authority of the president," invoking his right to remain silent in response to the prosecutor's questions.
With Yoon’s refusal to comply with the interrogation Friday, the CIO is not expected to visit Seoul Detention Center for direct questioning or to attempt to forcibly bring Yoon to the CIO office for investigation.
Seok Dong-hyun, among the lawyers representing Yoon, said Friday that he respects the court's decision, but expressed regrets over what he labeled an "illegal arrest" by the CIO. He said the legal team will now focus on responding to the CIO's expected application for a warrant that would authorize a longer detention period for Yoon.
The South Korean court issues two types of arrest warrants, with the current warrant authorizing Yoon's detention for 48 hours after arrest. The second warrant, if issued, would allow him to be held for up to 20 days for questioning.
The CIO is likely to file an arrest warrant for Yoon with the Seoul Western District Court, which issued an emergency warrant that enabled authorities to take Yoon into custody.
"(The court) hasn't been finalized yet, but the likelihood is high," said a CIO official during a morning briefing. "Typically, arrest warrants are requested from the same court that issued the initial warrant, so the chances are strong."
Previously, the CIO obtained two separate arrest and search warrants for Yoon from the Seoul Western District Court, which has jurisdiction over the president’s official residence.
The president is currently under a criminal investigation and engaged in an impeachment trial for his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law and related orders to military commanders, including suspicions of orders to arrest prominent political figures, civic activists and other outspoken critics. The martial law decree also contained a ban on activities of the National Assembly, which is not among the presidential rights.
Yoon's legal team recently told the Constitutional Court that the problematic clause was mistakenly written by Kim Yong-hyun, who was then defense minister. Kim's legal representatives on Thursday denied this claim, saying the president reviewed the orders himself.