Yoon Suk-yeol to Comply with Indictment and Preliminary Detention Warrant

In a surprising turn of events, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has announced through his defense counsel that he will comply with an indictment or a preliminary detention warrant. The announcement came on Wednesday, following the extension of the arrest warrant against the impeached president issued the previous day.

The defense counsel told local reporters that President Yoon intends to face a court trial if indicted or if a preliminary detention warrant is sought. The preliminary warrant is typically sought by prosecutors when immediate detention of a suspect is not possible, allowing authorities to detain a suspect at large for up to 20 days. The duration of the warrant is determined by a judge, generally lasting around 10 days.

However, the counsel emphasized that President Yoon would not comply with investigations conducted under what they termed an “invalid” arrest warrant, insisting that any detention warrant should be issued by the Seoul Central District Court.

Amid speculation and rumors, Yoon Kab-keun, one of President Yoon’s lawyers, denied allegations made by some members of parliament that the president had fled the official residence. He confirmed meeting with President Yoon at the residence on Tuesday, dismissing the claims as “malicious rumors” intended to slander him.

The Seoul Western District Court issued a second warrant on Tuesday to arrest President Yoon for up to 48 hours, extending the validity of the first arrest warrant that expired on Monday. Earlier attempts by investigators to arrest President Yoon at the presidential residence on January 3 were thwarted when the presidential security service blocked the execution of the warrant.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by a joint unit comprising the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, the National Office of Investigation, and the Defense Ministry’s investigative headquarters. President Yoon has been named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on charges of insurrection.

The National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against President Yoon on December 14 last year, forwarding it to the Constitutional Court for deliberation for up to 180 days. During this period, President Yoon’s presidential powers are suspended.

Notably, President Yoon had declared martial law on the night of December 3, a move that was swiftly revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

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Yoon Suk-yeol to comply with indictment, preliminary detention warrant

cgtn.com