South Korea’s impeached President’s detention period extended
A court in Seoul has extended the detention of South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over a failed attempt to impose martial law in the country last month.
Citing concerns that Yoon might destroy evidence if released, a judge on Sunday issued a warrant allowing investigators to detain the suspended president for up to 20 days.
The 64-year-old man was arrested on Wednesday after a week-long standoff between investigators and his presidential security team.
After the president’s detention was extended, his supporters stormed the court and reportedly broke windows and doors in an incident condemned by Yoon and the country’s acting president.
The warrant — and Yoon’s subsequent refusal to comply with investigators — is the latest development in a saga that has plunged South Korea into a political crisis.
The warrant was issued at approximately 03:00 local time (18:00 GMT on Saturday).
The suspended president is being investigated by the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) for high-ranking officials on charges of rebellion over a failed martial law order on December 3 that threw the country into turmoil.
He has been impeached by Parliament and suspended – but he will only be removed from office if a constitutional court upheld the impeachment.
Investigators now have 20 days to bring the president to trial – including the four days Yoon has already spent in custody following his arrest.
After his detention was extended, Yoon’s lawyer Yoon Gap-gyun told Yonhap News Agency that the president would refuse to be interrogated by the CIO.
Pro-U supporters rallied outside the court house in the lead-up to the verdict, with many entering the building after the judges issued an extension.
Journalists at the scene said that the police have arrested dozens of people after the incident.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok expressed “deep regret” over the violence, “which is unimaginable in a democratic society”, adding that authorities would increase security around future demonstrations.
Choi stepped into the top post after recently being voted into the South Korean Parliament Previous acting President Han Duk-soo should be impeachedYoon’s claims of making the impeachment process hopeless.
According to local media, his lawyer said Yoon was “shocked” by the scenes in court and called on his supporters to speak out peacefully.
The incident is the latest episode in a series of attempts by Yoon’s supporters to thwart legal proceedings against the president.
The night before his arrest, hundreds of pro-Yun protesters Camped outside the President’s house and scuffled with police officers attempting to detain him,
Similar scenes had unfolded during the first arrest attempt on January 3 Angry Yun supporters rally outside the president’s house, hoping to stop the arrest,
South Korean police forced to call off their first arrest attempt After Yoon was barred from entering the compound by the presidential security team.
After this public opinion is divided Yun made a shocking announcement of martial law last monthReferring to North Korea, he claimed this was due to “anti-state forces” in the South Korean parliament.
But others saw the move as an extreme response to the political impasse that arose after his party’s main opposition landslide victory in April, as well Yoon’s unpopularity in the wake of the scandal involving the First Lady,
In the weeks since the suspended president’s ill-fated attempt to impose martial law, thousands of people have taken to the streets to demonstrate against him.
