Seoul Central District Court to Hold Detention Warrant Review for Former President Yoon on July 9

Yoon to Attend Warrant Review in Person
Expected to Argue Detention Request Is Unjustified

Former President Yoon Sukyeol is appearing at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, where the special prosecution team led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eunseok is based, on the 5th to undergo the second investigation by the special prosecution for the internal rebellion case. Photo by Yonhap News

The warrant review to determine whether former President Yoon Sukyeol will be detained is scheduled for July 9.

The Seoul Central District Court announced on July 7 that the warrant review for former President Yoon will be held at 2:15 p.m. on July 9, presided over by Judge Nam Sejin, who is in charge of warrants.

Former President Yoon is expected to appear in person at the warrant review and present his opinion that the request for a detention warrant is unjustified.

The special prosecution team led by Special Prosecutor Cho Eunseok, which is investigating the internal rebellion and foreign intervention case related to the 12·3 Martial Law, requested a detention warrant for former President Yoon on July 6. In the warrant application, the special prosecution listed charges such as obstruction of special official duties, violation of the Presidential Security Act, abuse of power, and falsification of official documents.

There is also a charge that, on December 7, 2024?four days after the declaration of martial law?Yoon ordered the Presidential Security Service to delete information related to secure phones used by former Army Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jonggeun, former Capital Defense Commander Lee Jinwoo, and former Defense Security Commander Yeo Inhyeong.

Additionally, the warrant application states that, just before the declaration of martial law, Yoon convened only specific cabinet members for a cabinet meeting in order to meet the quorum of 11 members, thereby preventing other cabinet members, such as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Juho, who were not notified, from exercising their right to deliberate on the declaration of martial law.

Regarding the drafting and disposal of the post-declaration martial law proclamation, the special prosecution stated that Yoon received a post-dated martial law proclamation signed by former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo and former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun from former Presidential Secretary Kang Uigu, signed it himself, and had it kept in his office. After being informed by Kang that Han had said, "Let's pretend I never signed this," Yoon approved the disposal of the document, saying, "If that is the Prime Minister's wish, do as he says."

The special prosecution also applied the charge of abuse of power, stating that Yoon instructed the secretary for overseas affairs and foreign press spokesperson to explain false information defending martial law to foreign journalists.

However, the charge of foreign intervention?specifically, the allegation that Yoon ordered the Military Drone Operations Command to deploy drones over Pyongyang to justify the declaration of martial law?was excluded from the detention warrant.

Previously, former President Yoon was detained on January 19 on charges of being the ringleader of the rebellion and abuse of power. Subsequently, on March 7, the 25th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court (presided over by Judge Ji Guyoun) accepted Yoon's request for release from detention.