Investigation set to proceed following Yoon's rejection of certain inquiries.
Former President Yoon Steps Into the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office Amid Insurrection Allegations
Fast-forward to December 31, 2025. The ex-President, Yoon Suk Yeol, strode into the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, directly confronting the accusations swirling around his chaotic tenure. [YONHAP]
A translation of the JoongAng Ilbo, hereafter referred to as the Journal, utilizes advanced generative AI and is polished by our editorial team.
The investigations offshoot from events on December 3, 2024, when Yoon allegedly sought to impose martial law. Prosecutors claim that the move aimed to suffocate the growing political dissent, eventually leading to his impeachment and the subsequent legal examination.
In addition to the martial law debacle, Yoon stands accused of ordering his Presidential Security Service (PSS) to obstruct his arrest when the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) endeavored to enforce a warrant in January 2025. Furthermore, he is said to have directed the PSS to delete sensitive communications from secure phones used by military commanders shortly following the botched martial law try.
On June 28, 2025 – around five months after his initial arrest and interrogation by the CIO – Yoon appeared before the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office for questioning. The session came after a court denied the special counsel's detention request, although they insisted on a public appearance. Yoon's legal team, however, pushed for a modification due to privacy concerns.
Preceding the inquiry, the Justice Minister announced that the prosecution planned to indict Yoon for his alleged insurrection, destruction of evidence, and obstruction of justice stemming from the failed martial law attempt[1][2][3][5]. The ongoing interrogation underscores his legal entanglement in these serious allegations.
Let's rewind to December 3, 2024. Yoon's historically controversial martial law initiative was perceived as an insurrectionist act, triggering repeated attempts to question and apprehend him. Eventually, on January 15, 2025, he became South Korea's first sitting president to be arrested[4]. This high-profile arrest kick-started the complex legal ordeal that continues to unfold, sparking intense public interest and debate.
Amidst the ongoing legal ordeal, Yoon Suk Yeol's defense team has been actively engaging with war-and-conflicts-related politics, as the allegations against him involving the martial law attempt and destruction of evidence are labeled as insurrectionist acts. The general news coverage, refined by advanced AI and edited by the Journal, has been following Yoon's juxtaposed position in defense against these serious charges, stemming from the botched martial law attempt.
