South Korea's Yoon Rejects Questioning as Authorities Seek Detention Extension
Anticorruption Agency Moves to Extend Impeached President's Detention by Up to 20 Days
Seoul, South Korea – South Korea’s anticorruption investigators have announced plans to request a court order for an extension of President Yoon Suk-yeol's detention after the impeached leader once again refused to undergo questioning regarding his brief declaration of martial law.
On Friday, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) confirmed that it would seek a court’s approval to extend Yoon’s detention for up to 20 additional days. The move follows Yoon’s refusal to cooperate with investigators, who had already arrested him on Wednesday. Yoon made history as the first sitting South Korean president to be detained after a dawn raid on his Seoul residence.
Under the current detention warrant, authorities were initially granted permission to hold Yoon for 48 hours. However, the CIO now seeks to prolong his custody while the investigation into his actions continues.
In a key legal development, the Seoul Central District Court rejected a motion from Yoon’s legal team that challenged the validity of his arrest. The impeachment of Yoon, which occurred on December 14, was followed by a standoff between security personnel and investigators at the president’s residence, culminating in his detention.
Yoon faces a range of serious charges, including insurrection, which carries severe penalties such as life imprisonment or even the death penalty—though South Korea has not carried out executions for years. The Constitutional Court is also reviewing Yoon’s impeachment, with a decision expected within 180 days.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok is currently serving as acting president after Yoon’s first replacement, Han Duck-soo, was impeached for not promptly filling vacancies on the Constitutional Court.
Yoon’s legal team has argued that his arrest is unlawful and maintains that the president sees no need to answer further questions. “The president will not appear at the CIO today. He has already expressed his stance to investigators,” said Yoon’s lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon.
Despite the political turmoil surrounding Yoon, his conservative party, the People Power Party (PPP), has seen a surge in popularity. According to a recent Gallup Korea poll, the PPP has surpassed the main opposition Democratic Party in public approval for the first time since August, with 39 percent of respondents backing the ruling party compared to 36 percent for the Democratic Party.