Special Prosecutor on Kim Keonhee Case: "Yoon Refused Arrest by Lying on Floor... Next Time, Physical Force Will Be Used"

Arrest Warrant Requested for Lee Jongho, Former CEO of Black Pearl Invest

On the morning of August 1, the special prosecutor team led by Min Jungki attempted to execute an arrest warrant against former President Yoon Sukyeol, but the attempt was unsuccessful. The special prosecutor's office stated, "We were unable to arrest him due to his strong resistance." The office also announced its intention to use physical force if necessary in future attempts to execute the arrest warrant.

Former President Yoon Sukyeol. Photo by Yonhap News

At a regular briefing that day, Special Prosecutor Oh Junghui said, "Considering that the subject of the arrest is a former president, the special prosecutor's office recommended that he voluntarily comply with the execution of the arrest warrant. However, the suspect refused arrest by lying on the floor without even wearing prison clothes."

Special Prosecutor Oh added, "We demanded compliance with the arrest warrant a total of four times at intervals of 20 to 30 minutes, but the suspect continued to refuse arrest. Out of concern for safety incidents, we refrained from using physical force and ultimately temporarily suspended the execution of the arrest. During this process, we notified the suspect that at the next attempt, we plan to complete the execution of the arrest warrant, including the use of physical force."

She continued, "The suspect has always emphasized fairness, common sense, and the rule of law. Through this incident, the public is watching to see whether the law is applied equally to everyone. As a former prosecutor, prosecutor general, and president, we urge him to cooperate with the special prosecutor's enforcement of the law."

Earlier that morning, at around 8:30 a.m., the special prosecutor team entered Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province to arrest former President Yoon. However, they left empty-handed at about 10:50 a.m., after more than two hours. Special Prosecutor Moon Hongju, accompanied by one prosecutor and one investigator from the team, went directly to the front of the detention cell and supervised the correctional officers, but ultimately withdrew when former President Yoon refused to cooperate.

Meanwhile, on the same morning, the special prosecutor team requested an arrest warrant for Lee Jongho, former CEO of Black Pearl Invest and known as a close aide to Mrs. Kim, on charges of violating the Attorney-at-Law Act.