Seoul: The former South Korean President, Yoon Suk-yeol, has been arrested for a second time and returned to solitary confinement, following a court order issued in Seoul.
The 64-year-old, who is currently on trial for insurrection, faces mounting legal trouble over his failed attempt to set martial law in December last year. Yoon’s re-arrest comes with concerns from prosecutors and the court that he may attempt to destroy evidence related to the case.
Yoon is being held at the Seoul Detention Centre, where he previously spent 52 days earlier this year before being released on procedural grounds in March. The former president plunged the country into a constitutional crisis on December 3, when he dispatched armed troops to the National Assembly to halt a vote against his controversial martial law declaration.
His actions marked a historic low for South Korea’s democracy, making him the first sitting president to be detained, initially arrested in a pre-dawn raid in January after weeks of resisting investigators. Yoon was removed from office by South Korea’s Constitutional Court in April, paving the way for a snap presidential election. His successor, President Lee Jae Myung, has since endorsed legislation authorising a wide-ranging special counsel probe into Yoon’s actions, including possible criminal conduct tied to both his administration and his wife.
The special counsel team has recently questioned Yoon over his alleged role in authorising drone flights to North Korea as a pretext for declaring martial law, as well as his resistance during his initial arrest attempt. Yoon has publicly defended his controversial move, claiming it was aimed at eliminating pro-North Korean and ‘anti-state’ elements.
However, the latest arrest warrant permits prosecutors to detain him for up to 20 days as they prepare a formal indictment, which could carry additional charges. Yun Bok-nam, president of Lawyers for a Democratic Society remarked that, “If indicted, Yoon could be held for up to six months as his trial progresses. Although immediate release is technically possible, prosecutors argue the risk of evidence destruction remains high.”
Yoon’s legal team criticised the renewed detention order as excessive, arguing that the former president no longer holds any official power.
Citing health reasons, Yoon did not appear for the 10th session of his insurrection trial, though his lawyers were present on his behalf. The court accepted a written explanation for his absence. If convicted, Yoon Suk-yeol faces a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or the death penalty.
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