Former President Yoon Seok-youl Faces Arrest Warrant Hearing After Four Months

Former South Korean President Yoon Seok-youl appeared at the Seoul Central District Court on the afternoon of July 9th for an arrest warrant hearing related to the December 3rd martial law incident. This marks his return to potential detention after being released four months ago following a court's decision to cancel his previous arrest.

Arrest Warrant Hearing Process

Seoul Central District Court Judge Nam Se-jin, who presides over warrant cases, conducted the pre-detention interrogation (substantive warrant review) for former President Yoon from 2:15 PM on July 9th. The hearing lasted approximately 6 hours and 40 minutes until 9 PM, with an actual duration of 5 hours and 40 minutes excluding a one-hour recess for dinner.

Former President Yoon arrived at the Seoul Central District Court building around 2:10 PM but did not respond to reporters' questions and quietly proceeded to the courtroom. Even after completing the hearing, he remained silent to journalists' questions about his feelings and was transported to Seoul Detention Center.

Special Prosecutor's Grounds for Detention

The special prosecution team led by Cho Eun-seok requested an arrest warrant on July 6th for former President Yoon on charges including abuse of authority to obstruct rights exercise, creation of false official documents, and obstruction of special public duty execution. The special prosecutor submitted a 66-page arrest warrant request along with an additional 300-page opinion document.

The special prosecutor cited evidence tampering and flight risk as primary grounds for detention necessity. They particularly argued that "the evidentiary value of testimonial evidence is much higher than in other cases, and former President Yoon, being well aware of this, has a very high likelihood of attempting to persuade case-related individuals to provide favorable testimony."

The prosecution also raised suspicions that former President Yoon's side leaked the arrest warrant request to influence statements from related parties. The special prosecutor emphasized that "detention is necessary for investigating the extensive foreign exchange charges."

Defense Team's Counter-Arguments

Former President Yoon's defense team highlighted that there had already been a court decision to cancel detention regarding the main charge of obstructing arrest warrant execution. They also argued that detention was unnecessary since former President Yoon was responding to the special prosecutor's summons.

The defense argued that "ensuring the suspect's physical freedom is not excessively violated aligns with constitutional principles," questioning the necessity and proportionality of detention.

Courtroom Situation

The warrant hearing was held in Courtroom 321 of the Seoul Central District Court's West Building, the same courtroom former President Park Geun-hye had appeared in. Unlike during Park's case, reporters were allowed to approach closely and ask questions, and former President Yoon was given the opportunity for final statements before the warrant-specialized judge handling the case.

While the special prosecutor law mandates public trials for cases under investigation, the court did not clearly announce whether this hearing would be public.

Key Issues for Detention Decision

The main factors determining warrant issuance are the gravity of the case and possibilities of evidence tampering and flight. Insurrection charges carry the maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment under criminal law, which can be seen as meeting the gravity requirement for detention.

The special prosecutor is expected to cite former President Yoon's continued denial of charges as grounds for detention necessity. Conversely, the defense team is expected to emphasize that former President Yoon has been responding to scheduled summons and that overseas flight risk is realistically low.

Political Reactions

The ruling and opposition parties have shown contrasting reactions to this arrest warrant hearing. The ruling People Power Party has criticized the special prosecutor's warrant request as "political investigation," while the opposition Democratic Party has expressed support, calling it "investigation according to law and principles."

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-gi stated, "Yoon Seok-youl's four-month escape period has ended, and it's time to return to prison," arguing for the necessity of detention.

Future Schedule if Detained

If the warrant is issued, former President Yoon will be detained again after four months, and the special prosecutor plans to conduct additional investigations during the maximum 20-day detention period before proceeding to trial. If the special prosecutor secures former President Yoon, who is at the center of the case, 22 days after investigation began, it is expected to gain momentum in investigating core suspicions related to foreign exchange charges.

Conversely, if the warrant is rejected, former President Yoon will escape the re-detention crisis for now, and the special prosecutor's investigation plans will inevitably face setbacks.

Social Interest and Security

Around the courthouse, citizens supporting former President Yoon and those demanding his detention held separate rallies, presenting contrasting scenes. Police operated special security measures to prevent confusion, including controlling vehicle access around the court and recommending that judges use public transportation.

Decision Timing and Future Prospects

The arrest warrant decision is scheduled for early morning on July 10th. Former President Yoon will wait in the detained suspect room at Seoul Detention Center until the decision is made. This decision is expected to be a crucial watershed determining the direction of the December 3rd martial law incident investigation.

Particularly, the speed and scope of the special prosecutor's investigation will significantly vary depending on whether former President Yoon is detained, and considerable political repercussions are also anticipated.

Original Korean article: https://trendy.storydot.kr/politics/yoon-seok-youl-arrest-warrant-hearing-july-2025