Yoon In Trouble Again? South Korea Seeks Second Arrest Of Former President Over Coup Plot

Last Updated:July 06, 2025, 16:29 IST

The request comes after Yoon was questioned twice by the special counsel, including a nine-hour session over the weekend

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. (AP file photo)

South Korean special prosecutors have submitted a new request to detain former President Yoon Suk Yeol, as investigations continue into his declaration of martial law late last year.

The request, filed on Sunday with the Seoul Central District Court, comes after Yoon was questioned twice by the special counsel, including a nine-hour session over the weekend. He faces charges including abuse of power, obstruction of justice, and falsifying official documents.

“Detention request is related to allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of justice," the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

Prosecutor Park Ji-young, speaking on behalf of the special counsel, confirmed the detention request and said it related to Yoon’s alleged attempt to subvert civilian authority on December 3. That day, Yoon deployed armed soldiers to surround the National Assembly and announced a state of martial law.

The decree was overturned just six hours later after lawmakers managed to force their way into the assembly building—some climbing over walls—and voted to strike it down. Yoon was impeached and formally removed from office in April.

The prosecutors also questioned Yoon about a failed arrest attempt in January and allegations that he had authorised drones to fly toward Pyongyang in order to justify the emergency declaration. The special counsel claims these actions were part of a wider plan to bypass democratic rule.

Yoon’s legal team has strongly rejected the charges and criticised the arrest warrant request as unjustified.

“We have thoroughly refuted the allegations and demonstrated that, as a matter of law, no crime can be established," they said in a statement. “The special counsel failed to present any objective evidence during the investigation, and even based on witness testimony, the charges do not hold."

A previous request to detain Yoon was dismissed by the court last week after he initially refused to appear for questioning. Since then, he has reportedly agreed to cooperate with further summons.

(With inputs from agencies)

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