A court issued a warrant on Jan. 19 for the arrest of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol over his brief declaration of martial law last month, reigniting the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO)’s probe into Yoon’s alleged role in an insurrection.
Yoon is currently detained at the Seoul Detention Center, where he will undergo questioning for up to 20 days, including the initial period of his detention. However, any time spent on his appeal for an arrest warrant review will not be included in this period. Detained on Jan. 15, Yoon filed for a warrant review, but his request was dismissed the following day.
As the CIO lacks prosecutorial authority, it is required to transfer the case to the prosecution for further investigation and indictment. The CIO and the prosecution have agreed to split the 20-day detention period equally, with the CIO planning to transfer Yoon to prosecutors around Jan. 25. The prosecution is expected to file an indictment by approximately Feb. 4.
During a 10-hour, 40-minute interrogation by the CIO on Jan. 15, Yoon exercised his right to remain silent, offering no substantive responses. He subsequently refused to attend questioning sessions on Jan. 16 and 17. Yoon’s representatives stated, “President Yoon is in poor health and fully expressed his position during the initial session, leaving no need for further questioning.”
The CIO intends to summon Yoon again during the remaining investigation period. If Yoon continues to refuse cooperation, the office is reportedly considering seeking an additional warrant to compel his attendance. A CIO spokesperson stated, “The investigation will proceed in strict accordance with the law and established procedures.”
Yoon is the second individual arrested by the CIO since its inception in January 2021. Before this case, all five of the office’s prior arrest warrant requests were denied. However, in the course of this investigation, the CIO successfully secured the arrest of Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, chief of the Defense Intelligence Command, marking its first approved warrant.
