Investigators have 48 hours to question Yoon face-to-face; extension would require formal arrest warrant
The investigators who took President Yoon Suk Yeol into custody Wednesday have over 200 pages of questions to ask him about his Dec. 3 martial law declaration. The current detention warrant grants them 48 hours to address them face-to-face.
Yoon, suspended from office since Dec. 14 last year, was arrested at his presidential residence in Hannam-dong, Seoul, at around 10:33 a.m. Wednesday and was taken to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, for questioning.
Yoon became the first sitting president to be detained, marking a historic moment for South Korea amid weeks of political chaos following his ill-fated martial law gambit.
Before Wednesday, Yoon had snubbed investigators’ summonses three times, claiming their investigation was illegal. In a video message released after he was taken into custody, he reiterated this stance, repeating again the claim that the warrant was illegal.
The conservative president, who had previously been the nation's chief prosecutor, refused to answer any questions, the CIO said in the afternoon.
The CIO has prepared a specially equipped interrogation room with video recording capabilities and a separate resting area for Yoon. The disgraced leader, however, did not consent to use of the video equipment, and so the first session was not recorded.
During the face-to-face with Yoon, investigators are expected to address issues such as the preparations and processes behind the sudden imposition of martial law, Yoon's orders for troops to occupy the National Election Commission and to thwart the parliamentary vote against the martial law decree and whether additional martial law declarations were considered.
After completing the day’s questioning, the CIO plans to transfer Yoon to the nearby Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province.
An emergency warrant, which was issued and executed for Yoon’s detention Wednesday, only allows him to be held for 48 hours. For its extension, law enforcement must request a formal warrant that would allow him to be held for up to 20 days.
Legal experts say there is a high likelihood the CIO will seek the 20-day warrant.
Formal warrants are issued when there is sufficient evidence of a crime accompanied by uncertainty about the suspect's residence, flight risk or concerns about destruction of evidence.
Yoon’s alleged main accomplices in the martial law plot -- former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung and former Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo -- have already been arrested.
Through prior consultations, the CIO has agreed with prosecutors to limit Yoon’s detention period to 20 days before an indictment is filed. They have also decided to transfer the case to the prosecution within the first 10 days of detention. Only the prosecution can indict a sitting president.
If Yoon is taken to the Seoul Detention Center, the facility could be designated a protected area under the Presidential Security Act. The law permits the Presidential Security Service to conduct inspections and searches to ensure the chief executive's security.
