On July 9th, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will appear in court in Seoul. The court will consider the request for his detention made by the special prosecutor as part of the investigation into his attempt to implement martial law.
The Seoul Central District Court will hear arguments regarding the detention of the impeached president, hearing opinions from the special prosecution team investigating Yoon’s martial law attempt in December last year, as well as statements from Yoon’s defense team. The request involves allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of justice.
After the hearing, Yoon Suk Yeol is expected to await the court’s decision either in the Seoul Detention Center or the court’s detention area. The court is expected to announce the verdict Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the Constitutional Court in April this year, upholding the parliament’s impeachment of him for attempting to enforce martial law, a move that shocked South Korean society, triggering months of political turmoil and exacerbating the deepening domestic divisions.
The former conservative president is currently facing criminal trial, accused of attempting to rule the country through martial law, constituting the crime of rebellion. The highest penalty for this charge could be life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
Since liberal President Lee Jae Myung’s election in June, the special prosecution team has accelerated the investigation process and begun pursuing other charges, including Yoon’s alleged mobilization of the presidential guard in January to prevent his arrest.
Yoon Suk Yeol was previously detained due to an earlier criminal investigation but was released after serving 52 days in custody for technical reasons.
On January 15, Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested on charges of instigating martial law, obstructing official duties, forging documents, and rebellion by South Korean prosecutors. He was released on March 8 after being detained for 52 days.
The court found his detention to have had “technical issues” during the initial period, with the detention deadline expiring and the prosecution failing to file an appeal within the legal timeframe, rendering the detention illegal, leading to its revocation. Following his release, he continued to face trial on charges including rebellion and impeachment in a non-custodial setting.
On July 9th, according to local media citing the special prosecution team, the reason for the latest detention request is concerns over the risk of Yoon fleeing and the potential interference with witnesses related to his case.
If Yoon Suk Yeol is detained again, it is expected he will be held at the Seoul Detention Center, and the special prosecution team intends to expedite the investigation of other charges, including whether he deliberately escalated tensions with North Korea, thereby harming South Korea’s national interests.
Yoon Suk Yeol’s lawyers have denied all charges, stating that the detention request lacks legitimacy and the entire investigation lacks objective evidence.