SEOUL – South Korea’s detained President Yoon Suk Yeol will skip another round of questioning by investigators on Friday, according to his lawyer, as authorities face a looming deadline to secure a warrant for his continued detention or release him.
To keep Yoon in custody longer, investigators are expected to petition a court on Friday for a detention warrant allowing for an extension of up to 20 days, according to legal experts.
Yoon made history on Wednesday by becoming the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested in connection with an investigation into whether he committed insurrection by briefly imposing martial law in early December. He is currently being held at the Seoul Detention Centre.
Although Yoon’s legal team challenged the legality of his arrest, the Seoul Central District Court rejected the challenge late Thursday, ruling the arrest was lawful.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), leading the criminal inquiry, summoned Yoon for questioning on Friday. However, his lawyer announced that the suspended president would not attend.
He has fully expressed his position on the first day of the arrest, and we believe there is no reason or need for further back-and-forth questioning, stated Yoon’s lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon.
Yoon has resisted efforts to interrogate him and also declined to be questioned on Thursday.
Authorities have a 48-hour window to question Yoon after his arrest, after which they must either release him or seek a warrant for up to 20 days of detention.
This 48-hour period is set to conclude on Friday evening after being paused to allow a court to review the challenge regarding his arrest, as reported by Yonhap News Agency, citing the CIO.
Seok mentioned that investigators are expected to pursue a detention warrant and expressed hope for a thorough consideration of the alleged illegality during the court’s review.
South Korea is facing its most significant political crisis in decades, triggered by Yoon’s brief attempt to impose martial law on December 3, which was rejected by parliament.
While key ally Washington has criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned last week that the politically unstable situation in South Korea could be exploited by nuclear-armed North Korea.
North Korea has largely refrained from commenting publicly about the events in Seoul; however, Yoon’s arrest was acknowledged by state media on Friday, two days after it occurred.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper cited foreign reports, noting that this marks the first time an incumbent president in South Korea has been arrested.
Yoon Suk Yeol is disregarding legal procedures to prioritize individual interests over national order, the Rodong Sinmun commented.
