Korea's first sitting president to be arrested will sleep on floor mattress, wash own dishes

A diagram depicts a solitary cell similar to the one in which President Yoon Suk Yeol is being held at the Seoul Detention Center. (The Korea Herald)
A diagram depicts a solitary cell similar to the one in which President Yoon Suk Yeol is being held at the Seoul Detention Center. (The Korea Herald)

Following his formal arrest Sunday, President Yoon Suk Yeol was relocated to a solitary cell approximately 10 square meters in size. Previously held in a detainee waiting room separate from the main detention block for general inmates, Yoon underwent formal admission procedures at the Seoul Detention Center upon the change in his status to "arrested."

As part of the admission process, Yoon was assigned a detainee number. He underwent a thorough physical inspection to ensure no contraband was brought in, and changed into a khaki pretrial detainee uniform with his assigned number. His mugshot and fingerprints were also taken during this process.

High-profile individuals, such as political figures and business leaders, are typically placed in solitary cells for safety.

The conditions of Yoon’s detention are similar to those of former Korean presidents who were previously incarcerated.

Former President Park Geun-hye, detained at the Seoul Detention Center in 2017, was assigned a 10.08-square-meter solitary cell. Her cell included a small desk, a cabinet, a bathroom with a sink and toilet as well as a television. Similarly, in 2018 former President Lee Myung-bak was held in a 13.07-square-meter solitary cell at the Seoul Eastern Detention Center. Such cells have no bed; detainees sleep on the heated floor using foldable bedding provided by the facility.

Yoon will use a communal shower at designated times to prevent interaction with other inmates. Likewise, his daily exercise period, limited to an hour, will be scheduled so that he is not within proximity of others. Other conditions of his internment, such as meals and access to basic facilities, will remain consistent with those of ordinary inmates. Yoon will eat alone in his solitary cell and must wash his own dishes.

Yoon’s status as the sitting president raises unique security concerns, as South Korea has no established guidelines for safeguarding a detained president while in office.

Security personnel from the Presidential Security Service are reportedly stationed in administrative buildings of the detention center, separated from the holding facilities.

Adding to the restrictions, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials decided to prohibit Yoon from meeting with individuals other than his legal team due to concerns of evidence tampering. This decision effectively bars visits from family members, including first lady Kim Keon Hee.