Why Did South Korea's Special Counsel Halt Detention of Yoon?

Seoul, Aug 7 (NationPress) A special counsel team from South Korea has halted its efforts to execute a warrant for questioning jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding allegations of election interference. The decision was made due to concerns of potential injury stemming from his 'stubborn refusal' to comply.

This marks the second instance where special counsel Min Joong-ki's team was unable to carry out the detention warrant after a failed attempt last Friday.

In a statement to the media, the team noted, 'We instructed the Seoul Detention Centre to proceed with the detention warrant around 8:25 a.m. and employed physical force. However, after receiving on-site feedback regarding the risk of injury due to former President Yoon's stubborn refusal, we suspended the execution around 9:40 a.m.'

Yoon's legal representatives condemned the attempt to detain him, labeling it 'public humiliation.'

They stated, 'Even with a detention warrant issued for investigative purposes, if former President Yoon chooses to exercise his right to remain silent, the warrant should not be enforced.'

Since July 10, Yoon has been held at the Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, located just south of the capital, facing charges linked to his unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law in December.

The special counsel team visited the detention centre earlier in the day to make a second attempt to enforce the warrant after Yoon had previously ignored their summonses.

Last Friday's initial attempt to question him failed as the former president reportedly resisted by lying on the floor of his cell in only his underwear, according to the team.

The detention warrant is set to expire by the end of Thursday, leading to speculation that the team may seek a new warrant. Alternatively, they might decide to indict Yoon without the need for interrogation if forcibly bringing him in proves to be too challenging.

Both Yoon and his spouse, Kim Keon Hee, are accused of accepting complimentary opinion polls from self-identified power broker Myung Tae-kyun in exchange for securing the nomination of former People Power Party Rep. Kim Young-sun for a parliamentary by-election in 2022.

Kim underwent nearly 11 hours of questioning at Min's office on Wednesday, responding to a range of allegations, including election interference, bribery, and stock manipulation.

She has become the first spouse of a former or current president to publicly appear as a suspect in a criminal investigation.

Simultaneously, this represents the second detention warrant issued for Yoon.

In January, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials apprehended Yoon at the presidential residence under a court-issued warrant, taking him to the same detention centre where he was held until his unexpected release in March.

At that time, he faced charges related to leading an insurrection through his martial law attempt.

Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho directed the Seoul Detention Centre on Wednesday to 'actively cooperate' with the special counsel team's warrant execution.

The team has also urged the former president to comply with the enforcement of the law, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

During a press briefing on Monday, they referenced an incident from 2017 when Yoon, as a prosecutor, forcibly brought in Choi Soon-sil, a friend of then-President Park Geun-hye, for questioning regarding corruption allegations involving both individuals.

'We are well aware of how former President Yoon conducted investigations and are simply trying to apply the same principles,' stated assistant special counsel Moon Hong-ju at the briefing.