South Korea prosecutors seek to re-arrest ex-president Yoon
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South Korean prosecutors have requested a new arrest warrant for impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol, citing charges of abuse of power and obstruction of official duties.
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South Korea's ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives to attend his trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 12, 2025 (AP)
South Korean prosecutors on Sunday sought a new arrest warrant to detain former president Yoon Suk Yeol, following two rounds of questioning, one of which extended beyond nine hours.
In April, Yoon was formally ousted from power following his impeachment and suspension by lawmakers, which came in response to his December 3 attempt to subvert democratic governance by sending armed troops into parliament.
"Today, the special counsel filed a request for a detention warrant with the Seoul Central District Court for former president Yoon Suk Yeol on charges including abuse of power and obstruction of special official duties," Park Ji-young, prosecutor and a member of the counsel, told reporters according to AFP.
Park noted that Yoon had been charged with "falsification of official documents" over his martial law declaration.
Park explained that the warrant justified the detention but declined to go into specifics, stating, "The warrant outlines why a detention is deemed necessary, but I cannot elaborate," while adding that further details would be addressed in court.
In Yoon's defense
The special counsel questioned Yoon on Saturday regarding his resistance during a botched arrest attempt in January, along with allegations that he authorized surveillance drones to be flown toward Pyongyang as a pretext for imposing martial law.
"We have thoroughly refuted the allegations and demonstrated that, as a matter of law, no crime can be established," his legal team said in a statement, adding that "the special counsel failed to present any objective evidence during the investigation, and even based on witness testimony, the charges do not hold."
Last week, the court rejected an arrest warrant sought by the special counsel, following Yoon's initial refusal to appear for questioning, after considering his subsequent expression of willingness to cooperate with future summonses.
