On June 25 (Wednesday), the independent prosecutor in charge of investigating former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s internal unrest case stated that the South Korean court has rejected the detention order application against Yoon Suk-yeol. The independent prosecutor’s team responsible for the internal unrest case also requested Yoon Suk-yeol to appear on Saturday, June 28, to undergo investigation.
The independent prosecutor’s team submitted a request to the Seoul Central District Court on Tuesday, June 24, for the issuance of a detention order against Yoon Suk-yeol on charges of obstructing official duties by using special means, abusing power, and instigating abuse of power. The team mentioned that the application was made due to Yoon Suk-yeol’s refusal to comply with police summonses three times and his claim that the independent prosecutor’s investigation is unconstitutional. However, the court rejected the application on Wednesday.
Yoon Suk-yeol’s legal representatives stated on Wednesday that the independent prosecutor’s team had never summoned Yoon Suk-yeol for questioning, and bypassing this basic procedure to directly request the court for a detention order severely violates the rights of the suspect and human rights. The court upheld this assertion.
On the same day, the independent prosecutor’s team issued a notice to the media, stating that the court rejected the detention application on the grounds that the suspect had expressed willingness to cooperate with the independent prosecutor’s summonses after they were issued. Yoon Suk-yeol and his defense team were immediately notified to appear on the morning of June 28 at 9 a.m. If they refuse to comply, the independent prosecutor’s team will consider reapplying for a detention order.
On January 26, the South Korean prosecutors indicted Yoon Suk-yeol, accusing him of leading a rebellion through a brief declaration of martial law on December 3 of the previous year. In April of this year, the Constitutional Court’s impeachment ruling against Yoon Suk-yeol took effect, resulting in his dismissal from the presidency. South Korea elected a new president, Lee Jae-myung, in June. Lee formally appointed independent prosecutor Jo Eun-seok to handle Yoon Suk-yeol’s case last week.
A team consisting of over 200 prosecutors and investigators has been set up by the prosecution to take over the ongoing investigation into Yoon Suk-yeol.
It is reported that Yoon Suk-yeol is facing criminal trial for charges of insurrection due to his issuance of a martial law declaration, which led to his arrest in January of this year for resisting authorities but was released after 52 days due to technical reasons.
On June 23, Yoon Suk-yeol attended the eighth court hearing at the Seoul Central District Court regarding the alleged instigation of internal unrest. This marked the first time the independent prosecutor’s team appeared in court as the prosecution after the enactment of the Internal Unrest Special Prosecutor Law and the formal takeover of the case by the independent prosecutor’s team.
Yoon Suk-yeol, born on December 18, 1960 in Seoul, South Korea, a graduate of Seoul National University Law School, was elected as the 20th President of South Korea on March 10, 2022, and began his term as president on May 10 of the same year. In September 2023, he was awarded the “Special International Courage Award” by the United States.
On the evening of December 3, 2024, Yoon Suk-yeol suddenly announced a state of emergency and dispatched the military and police to surround the parliament. Despite this, enough lawmakers entered the parliament and unanimously voted to reject his state of emergency, forcing his cabinet to lift the state of emergency in the early hours of the following day.
On December 7, the first impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol by the parliament failed. On December 12, the South Korean National Assembly voted to pass the Internal Unrest Special Prosecutor Law to investigate Yoon Suk-yeol’s suspected insurrection.
On December 14, the impeachment launched by the opposition-led parliament passed, leading to the immediate suspension of Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidency. On December 31, the South Korean court approved a warrant for Yoon Suk-yeol’s arrest.
On January 19, 2025, Yoon Suk-yeol became the first president in South Korea’s constitutional history to be formally detained while in office. The South Korean prosecutors indicted Yoon Suk-yeol on January 26.
On February 20, the South Korean Constitutional Court announced the final debate on the impeachment case against Yoon Suk-yeol. On February 25, Yoon Suk-yeol explained the reasons for issuing the martial law declaration during the final hearing of the impeachment case. He stated that the declaration of emergency was not to suppress the people with force as in the past but to inform the public of the crisis the country was facing due to external threats endangering South Korean democracy.
On April 4, Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment case was decided, resulting in his removal from the presidency.
The South Korean president does not have immunity for a few criminal charges, with insurrection being one of them. This charge can lead to a sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty.
On June 24, the South Korean Internal Unrest Special Prosecutor’s team applied for Yoon Suk-yeol’s detention. On June 25, the South Korean court rejected the detention order application.
(Reference: News reports from Yonhap News Agency)