By Ju-min Park and Joyce Lee
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s anti-corruption agency said on Friday it would ask a Seoul court to extend the detention of arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol after the leader again refused to be questioned by the investigators.
On Wednesday, Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested, as part of an investigation into whether he committed insurrection when he briefly imposed martial law in early December. He is being held at the Seoul Detention Center.
In order to keep Yoon in detention longer, investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which is leading the investigation, must ask a court to approve a detention warrant lasting up to 20 days.
“I think you can consider it almost over,” an IOC official told reporters, responding to a question about whether investigators would file a request to keep Yoon in detention.
The official told reporters that Yoon’s current arrest term was set to expire Friday evening.
The Seoul Central District Court on Thursday rejected Yoon’s lawyers’ challenge to the legality of his arrest.
The former president blocked IOC efforts to interview him on Thursday and again on Friday, while his party took advantage of political polarization to improve its approval rating since Yoon’s arrest, according to a poll.
“He has fully stated his basic position from day one (of the arrest), and we believe there is no reason or need for a back and forth Q&A.” , Yoon’s lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, said in a statement. statement.
The suspended president’s legal team has denied that Yoon orchestrated an insurrection, a crime in South Korea punishable by life in prison or even technically the death penalty.
Seok said Friday he expected investigators to seek a detention warrant, but hoped there would be a closer and more comprehensive review of the “illegality” of the arrest when a court reexamines the mandate.
South Korea is grappling with its worst political crisis in decades, sparked by Yoon’s brief attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3, which stunned the nation and was quickly rejected by Parliament.
Yoon was impeached on Dec. 14 and faces a Constitutional Court trial that began this week to decide whether to permanently suspend his powers or return him to power.
SUPPORT FOR THE DECISION-MAKING PARTY
Opinion polls have shown that most South Koreans support his impeachment, but Yoon’s legal situation and his defiance over his arrest appear to have inflamed some of his supporters.
The approval rating for Yoon’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) was 39 percent in a Gallup Korea poll released Friday, up from 34 percent a week ago and surpassing the main opposition Democratic Party for the first time since August, which stood at 36%.
Gallup Korea said Yoon and his party’s constant messaging to his supporters appeared to have had an impact when political divisions deepened around his arrest.
Yoon was arrested after a weeks-long standoff when more than 3,000 police officers stormed his residence. A previous arrest attempt on January 3 failed after an hours-long standoff between investigators and Yoon’s personal security.
Kim Sung-hoon, acting head of the presidential security service, was arrested Friday for blocking investigators’ first attempt on Jan. 3 to arrest Yoon, Yonhap said.
Speaking to reporters, Kim said he was carrying out his “legitimate security duties” and denied allegations by some opposition lawmakers that Yoon ordered guards to use weapons against investigators who tried to stop him.
While key ally Washington criticized Yoon’s declaration of martial law, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned last week that there was a risk that North Korea, armed with the weapon nuclear power, is trying to exploit the political situation in South Korea.
North Korea has largely avoided publicly commenting on the situation in Seoul, but Yoon’s arrest was reported by state media on Friday, two days after the events.
The Rodong Sinmun newspaper cited foreign media to say it was the first arrest of an incumbent president in South Korea.
“Yoon Suk Yeol does not follow legal procedures to the detriment of national order and individual interests,” Rodong Sinmun said.
