CIO files for arrest warrant to extend detainment of Yoon

Home > National > Politics

print dictionary print

CIO files for arrest warrant to extend detainment of Yoon

Police stand on guard outside the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Jan. 17. [YONHAP]

Police stand on guard outside the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Jan. 17. [YONHAP]

 
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) formally filed for an arrest warrant to extend the detainment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to the agency on Friday afternoon.
 
The warrant was filed with the Seoul Western District Court, which issued the CIO’s first warrant to detain Yoon.
 
The CIO took Yoon into custody at his official residence in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Wednesday morning.
 
By law, the agency has 48 hours from the moment it detained the president to keep him in custody under its original warrant to hold and investigate him over suspicions that he masterminded an insurrection against the country’s democratic order by declaring martial law on Dec. 3.
 
That timer was paused on Wednesday while the Seoul Central District Court considered a petition from Yoon's legal team challenging the validity of his detention.
 
After the court dismissed the petition, that hold was lifted.
 

Related Article

 
The second warrant, if granted, would allow the CIO to hold the president for questioning for up to 20 more days.
 
A CIO official who spoke to reporters earlier on Friday expressed confidence the court would allow the agency to continue to hold Yoon. 
 
“Arrest warrants are usually filed with the same court that issued the initial warrant, so the chances are strong that the court will grant this one as well,” he said.
 
The CIO’s decision came after the impeached president once again defied the agency’s order to submit to further questioning at 10 a.m. on Friday.
 
Yoon cited health issues for his refusal to appear for questioning.
 
He largely refused to answer investigators’ questions on Wednesday and declined to appear for an interrogation session scheduled for Thursday afternoon, according to the agency.
 
Seok Dong-hyun, a longtime friend of President Yoon Suk Yeol and an unofficial spokesperson for his legal defense team, responds to questions from reporters on Jan. 17 in front of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, where the president is currently being held. [NEWS1]

Seok Dong-hyun, a longtime friend of President Yoon Suk Yeol and an unofficial spokesperson for his legal defense team, responds to questions from reporters on Jan. 17 in front of the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, where the president is currently being held. [NEWS1]

 
Seok Dong-hyeon, a longtime acquaintance of the president who is serving as his legal team’s unofficial spokesperson, told local media that Yoon “does not see any reason or need to take part in back-and-forth questioning.”
 
However, the CIO believes that it has enough evidence to back its request for the second warrant even without Yoon’s cooperation.
 
According to officials cited by local media, the agency has reviewed over 1,500 pages of evidence gathered from officials accused of involvement in Yoon’s declaration of martial law.
 
In addition to the indictment against former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, the CIO has reviewed the interrogation records of five former and current senior military brass who are suspected of ordering troops under their command to carry out Yoon’s martial law decree.
 
Based on their testimony, the CIO intends to charge Yoon with abuse of power and as leading an attempted insurrection.  
 

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]
Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)