The Yoon detention warrant request has been denied by a Seoul court, even as scrutiny of the former president intensifies. On Wednesday, the Seoul Central District Court rejected a request to detain former President Yoon Suk Yeol. The request came amid an ongoing investigation into his December declaration of martial law and related misconduct.
The special counsel, headed by Cho Eun-suk, had submitted the request on Tuesday. The court explained that Yoon expressed willingness to comply with questioning. As a result, the special counsel promptly issued a new summons for 9 a.m. this Saturday.
Officials made it clear that they may seek a formal Yoon detention warrant if Yoon refuses to appear. They emphasized that this action would follow if he continues to ignore the summons. Earlier, police had called Yoon for questioning on June 5, 12, and 19. He did not respond to any of those requests.
The National Assembly recently passed a bill mandating a special investigation into possible insurrection charges. This led to the formation of the current special counsel team. The investigation centers on whether Yoon gave unlawful orders to obstruct legal procedures.
Investigators allege that Yoon directed the Presidential Security Service to block a detention warrant issued by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. This incident reportedly occurred in early January. In addition, Yoon is suspected of instructing the service to delete phone records used by three military commanders.
Those phone records were considered key evidence in assessing Yoon’s actions following the failed martial law attempt. Officials believe this could amount to tampering with evidence and obstruction of justice. The Yoon detention warrant remains a critical part of this legal review. Yoon’s legal team argued that the original CIO warrant was invalid and violated due process. However, prosecutors remain determined to uncover the full extent of Yoon’s actions.
