South Korea’s disgraced ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol has today been detained for a second time over his declaration of martial law and held in a solitary cell as investigators widened their insurrection probe.
Recall Yoon plunged South Korea into a political crisis when he sought to subvert civilian rule on December 3 last year, sending armed soldiers to parliament in a bid to prevent lawmakers voting down his declaration of martial law.
He became South Korea’s first sitting president to be taken into custody when he was detained in a dawn raid in January, after he spent weeks resisting arrest, using his presidential security detail to head off investigators.
After Yoon’s impeachment was confirmed by the court in April, he again refused multiple summons from investigators, prompting them to seek his detention once more to ensure cooperation.
Nam Se-jin, a senior judge at Seoul’s Central District Court said the latest arrest warrant was issued over concerns that Yoon would “destroy evidence” in the case.
Yoon is being held in a solitary cell which has only a fan and no air-conditioning, as a heat wave grips South Korea. According to the official schedule, he was offered a regulation breakfast including steamed potatoes and milk.