Seoul (Agencies): A South Korean court has issued a warrant to extend the detention of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol for up to 20 days, following his failed attempt to impose martial law.
The Seoul Western District Court made the decision early Sunday morning after a detention necessity hearing held on Saturday, during which Yoon appeared to plead his case. The warrant allows for 10 additional days of questioning by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), followed by another 10 days of interrogation by public prosecutors, as part of a joint investigation into his insurrection charge.
Yoon, who was arrested at the presidential residence last Wednesday, became the first sitting South Korean president to be taken into custody. He faces potential charges linked to his controversial martial law declaration on December 3, which triggered the nation’s most significant political crisis since democratization in the late 1980s.
The court’s decision sparked unrest among Yoon’s supporters, who gathered outside the courthouse in protest. Some demonstrators scaled the rear fence and threw stones, shattering windows. In response, police deployed a significant force to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Yoon’s legal battle and continued detention mark a pivotal moment in South Korea’s political history, as investigators work to build a case against the impeached president ahead of a potential indictment.