South Korean prosecutors have made a renewed request to extend President Yoon Suk-yeol's detention following a probe into his attempted martial law declaration last month. The move comes after a Seoul court rejected their initial request on Friday.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office stated in a press release that, based on precedent, the prosecution's right to conduct supplementary investigations on cases referred by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) is recognized. This justification was provided in light of the prosecution's second request to extend President Yoon's detention.
The initial request was made on Thursday when the CIO, which had already completed its investigation into President Yoon's case, transferred it to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. However, the Seoul Central District Court ruled that the prosecution lacked sufficient grounds to continue the investigation, noting that their primary responsibility was to decide whether to indict the president.
Under South Korean law, the processes of investigation and indictment are separated to ensure fairness. Despite the court's ruling, the prosecution is expected to indict President Yoon on charges of insurrection and other offenses this weekend.
On January 19, a warrant was issued to keep President Yoon in custody for up to 20 days, including the arrest period, making him the country's first incumbent president to be formally arrested. He was apprehended at the presidential office on January 15, following a motion to impeach him that was passed by the National Assembly on December 14 of last year. The motion was delivered to the Constitutional Court for deliberation, during which President Yoon's executive powers are suspended.
President Yoon was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader in an insurrection charge after he declared martial law on the night of December 3 last year. The martial law declaration was swiftly revoked by the National Assembly just hours later.
The CIO and the prosecution have agreed to jointly investigate the insurrection charge by questioning the impeached president over a period of ten days each. This unprecedented legal situation has captured the attention of both domestic and international observers, as South Korea navigates uncharted political and legal territory.
(With input from Xinhua)
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Prosecutors seek to extend Yoon's detention after martial law probe
cgtn.com
