Enforcement commences as special counsel team carries out arrest warrant for former President Yoon
In a significant development in the ongoing legal proceedings against former President Yoon Suk Yeol, a special counsel team visited the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, on Friday. The detention warrant for Yoon was issued by a court on Thursday, following his repeated refusal to comply with summonses.
The team, led by Assistant Special Counsel Moon Hong-ju, included a prosecutor and an investigator from Special Counsel Min Joong-ki's team. Their purpose for visiting Yoon at the detention center is to take him for questioning.
The legal proceedings against Yoon are primarily related to his declaration of martial law in December 2024 and allegations of corruption involving his wife, Kim Keon-hee. The charges against Yoon include obstruction of special official duties, violation of the Presidential Security Act, abuse of power, obstruction of rights, and falsification of official documents linked to the brief martial law imposition.
Yoon initially resisted arrest attempts starting January 3, 2025, leading to a standoff at his presidential residence. However, after losing presidential immunity upon removal from office in April 2025, a new arrest warrant was issued in July 2025 for these charges.
Additionally, prosecutors investigating Kim Keon-hee's corruption allegations sought to detain Yoon in relation to illegal political support during the 2022 presidential campaign. Allegations include receiving polling data from a political fixer and influencing a by-election nomination in exchange.
Repeatedly ignoring summonses and refusing to leave his cell at the detention center led to failed attempts by prosecutors to execute his arrest warrant in early August 2025. However, after Yoon appointed legal counsel, special prosecutors suspended further arrest efforts and decided to formally interrogate him through his defense team.
This visit marks a significant step forward in the ongoing investigation against Yoon Suk Yeol. The health issues cited by Yoon were not sufficient reasons for him to avoid the special counsel's summons. It remains to be seen how this development will shape the course of the legal proceedings against the former president.
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- The visit to the Seoul Detention Center by Special Counsel Min Joong-ki's team, focusing on policy-and-legislation matters, is part of the ongoing investigation into the legal proceedings against former President Yoon Suk Yeol, involving politics and general news such as allegations of corruption, obstruction of official duties, and illegal political support.
- The purpose of the special counsel team's visit to Yoon at the detention center is to question him regarding the charges against him, which include various counts related to policy-and-legislation, politics, and general news, such as his declaration of martial law, corruption allegations, and illegal political support during the 2022 presidential campaign.
