17-1-2025 (SEOUL) Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has once again rebuffed investigators’ attempts to question him regarding his failed martial law declaration, as his initial detention period draws to a close.
The embattled former leader, who made history as South Korea’s first sitting president to be detained, continues to maintain his silence following his arrest in a dawn raid on Wednesday. Through his legal representative, Seok Dong-hyeon, Yoon maintained that he had already provided sufficient explanation to investigators during initial questioning.
The political crisis erupted on 3 December when Yoon attempted to impose martial law, claiming the necessity to counter what he termed “anti-state elements”. The unprecedented move collapsed within six hours when military forces, dispatched to occupy parliament, failed to prevent lawmakers from defeating the presidential directive.
The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) scheduled a questioning session for 10:00 local time, but Yoon’s legal team confirmed his non-attendance for the second consecutive day. The investigators are expected to petition for a fresh warrant that could extend his detention by an additional 20 days, providing prosecutors the necessary time to formulate formal charges.
“The anticipated next step involves the CIO requesting an arrest warrant from the Seoul Western District Court,” confirmed sources from Yoon’s legal team on Friday.
The former prosecutor-turned-president, now facing potential insurrection charges, underwent several hours of questioning on Wednesday before invoking his right to remain silent. Whilst agreeing to leave his compound to prevent potential “bloodshed”, Yoon has consistently challenged the investigation’s legitimacy.
Meanwhile, parallel proceedings continue at the Constitutional Court, which is deliberating whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment. A decision to maintain the impeachment would result in Yoon’s permanent removal from office and trigger fresh elections within 60 days. Notably, the former president has not attended the initial hearings this week.
The ruling People Power Party maintains that the detention lacks legal foundation, whilst the opposition Democratic Party has celebrated the arrest, with senior officials describing it as a crucial step towards reinstating constitutional order following weeks of political turmoil.
Approximately one hundred of Yoon’s supporters demonstrated outside the CIO building on Thursday, protesting his detention. Despite his current circumstances, Yoon has remained resolute, using social media to reiterate claims of electoral fraud and warning of threats from “hostile” nations, in an apparent reference to North Korea.
The National Assembly’s legal representatives suggest that Yoon’s arrest has established the framework for a swift resolution to the constitutional crisis through established legal channels, though the full impact of this unprecedented political situation on South Korea’s democratic institutions remains to be seen.
