South Korea’s jailed ex-leader Yoon resists questioning by taking off his clothes and lying on the floor
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South Korea’s jailed ex-leader Yoon resists questioning by taking off his clothes and lying on the floor
Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office in April over his ill-fated imposition of martial law. He was sent back to prison last month as he stands a high-stakes trial over rebellion and other charges. Yoon’s defense team earlier said Yoon was unable to attend his trial and undergo questioning by investigators. They cited an unidentified hospital as saying that Yoon faces the risk of blindness because he failed to receive medical treatment for the past three months. The liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, leading to his suspension from office. The former president said he imposed martial law out of frustration with the opposition.
Yoon, removed from office in April over his ill-fated imposition of martial law, was sent back to prison last month as he stands a high-stakes trial over rebellion and other charges. Yoon, a conservative, faces investigations into other criminal allegations that are not related to his Dec. 3 martial law decree but target him, his wife and others.
On Friday, Min Joong-ki, a special counsel named by his liberal rival and new President Lee Jae Myung, sent investigators to retrieve Yoon from a detention center near Seoul after the former president twice defied requests to attend questioning. Min’s team is tasked with delving into allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, including that she and her husband exerted inappropriate influence on the then-ruling party’s election nomination process in 2022.
Min’s team had a court-issued detention warrant that authorized them to bring Yoon out of his detention facility by force, but said they were hoping for his voluntary cooperation.
“Without wearing his prison uniform, the suspect lay down on the floor and strongly resisted his detention,” assistant special counsel Oh Jeong-hee told a televised briefing.
Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho separately told lawmakers that Yoon took off his shorts and short-sleeved shirt and put them back on after investigators left.
Oh said her team members refrained from using physical means out of safety concerns, but notified Yoon that they would execute the warrant next time. She urged Yoon to cooperate, as the Korean people are closely watching whether the enforcement of the law is applied to everyone equally.
Yu Jeong-hwa, a lawyer for Yoon, accused the special counsel team of trampling on Yoon’s dignity and honor by discussing his dress in prison, according to local media reports.
Yoon’s defense team earlier said Yoon was unable to attend his trial and undergo questioning by investigators because of heath problems. They said in a statement Thursday that Yoon has cardiovascular, autonomic nervous system and eye issues. They cited an unidentified hospital as saying that Yoon faces the risk of blindness because he failed to receive medical treatment for the past three months.
Yoon’s Dec. 3 imposition of martial law, which brought armed troops into Seoul streets, lasted only several hours before lawmakers voted down his decree unanimously. It plunged the country into political turmoil.
Yoon said he imposed martial law out of frustration with the opposition and vowed to eliminate “anti-state” forces. During a televised speech at the time, he said martial law would help “rebuild and protect” the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin.
The liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, leading to his suspension from office. He was arrested and indicted in January.
South Korea’s jailed ex-leader Yoon takes off prison uniform and lies on floor to resist questioning
Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office in April over his ill-fated imposition of martial law. He was sent back to prison last month as he stands a high-stakes trial over rebellion and other charges. Mr Yoon, a conservative, faces investigations into other criminal allegations that are not related to his Dec. 3 martial law decree but target him, his wife and others. On Friday, Min Joong-ki, a special counsel named by his liberal rival and new president Lee Jae Myung, sent investigators to retrieve him. Mr Min’s team is tasked with delving into allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife Kim Keon Hee.
South Korea’s jailed ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol again refused to attend questioning by investigators Friday, using a new method to resist: He took off his prison uniform and lay down on the floor at his detention room.
Mr Yoon, removed from office in April over his ill-fated imposition of martial law, was sent back to prison last month as he stands a high-stakes trial over rebellion and other charges. Mr Yoon, a conservative, faces investigations into other criminal allegations that are not related to his Dec. 3 martial law decree but target him, his wife and others.
On Friday, Min Joong-ki, a special counsel named by his liberal rival and new president Lee Jae Myung, sent investigators to retrieve Mr Yoon from a detention centre near Seoul after the former president twice defied requests to attend questioning. Mr Min’s team is tasked with delving into allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife Kim Keon Hee, including that she and her husband exerted inappropriate influence on the then-ruling party’s election nomination process in 2022.
FILE – Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center, arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review his arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors in Seoul, South Korea, July 9, 2025 ( AP )
Mr Min’s team had a court-issued detention warrant that authorised them to bring Yoon out of his detention facility by force, but said they were hoping for his voluntary cooperation.
“Without wearing his prison uniform, the suspect lay down on the floor and strongly resisted his detention,” assistant special counsel Oh Jeong-hee told a televised briefing.
Oh said her team members refrained from using physical means out of safety concerns, but notified Mr Yoon that they would execute the warrant next time. She urged Mr Yoon to cooperate as the Korean people are closely watching whether the enforcement of law is applied to everyone equally.
Mr Yoon’s lawyers earlier said he was unable to attend his trial and undergo questioning by investigators because of heath problems. They said in a statement Thursday that Mr Yoon has cardiovascular, autonomic nervous system and eye issues. They cited an unidentified hospital as saying that Yoon faces the risk of blindness because he failed to receive medical treatment for the past three months.
Mr Yoon’s imposition of martial law, which brought armed troops into Seoul streets, lasted only a few hours before lawmakers voted down his decree unanimously.
Mr Yoon has argued his decree was a desperate attempt to draw public support of his fight against the “wickedness” of Lee’s Democratic Party, then the main opposition party which had obstructed his agenda, impeached top officials and slashed the government’s proposed budget.
South Korea’s Yoon resists questioning by lying on the floor in underwear
Prosecutors obtained a fresh arrest warrant on July 31 to forcibly bring the former leader in for questioning over allegations of election tampering. But they were “unable to do so due to his strong refusal’, prosecutor Oh Jeong-hee told reporters. Yoon was wearing “a sleeveless top and prison-issued briefs”, prosecutors said, calling it the “most appropriate way to describe his attire” Yoon’s legal team said the prosecutors had shown a “disturbing disregard” for “basic human decency’. He faces a litany of charges, from insurrection to election tampering, but has refused multiple times to appear at his summons.
Former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol has refused multiple times to appear at his summons.
SEOUL – South Korea’s impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol lay on his prison cell floor in his underwear to resist attempts to interrogate him, prosecutors said on Aug 1 .
Prosecutors obtained a fresh arrest warrant on July 31 to forcibly bring the former leader in for questioning over allegations of election tampering.
However, they were “unable to do so due to his strong refusal”, prosecutor Oh Jeong-hee told reporters.
“The suspect refused arrest while lying on the floor without wearing his prison-issued clothing,” she said.
“Due to concerns over safety incidents, physical force was withheld, and the execution of the warrant was temporarily suspended.”
Yoon was wearing “a sleeveless top and prison-issued briefs”, prosecutors said, calling it the “most appropriate way” to describe his attire, given the “serious nature of the situation”.
There was no information on the colour of his underclothing, they added.
Prosecutors informed Yoon they would have to carry out physical force if necessary in the next attempt.
Yoon was arrested after he tried to impose martial law on Dec 3, sending troops to Parliament to prevent lawmakers from voting down his declaration and plunging the country into political turmoil.
He faces a litany of charges, from insurrection to election tampering, but has refused multiple times to appear at his summons.
Yoon’s legal team said the prosecutors had shown a “disturbing disregard” for “basic human decency”.
“The special counsel turned what should have been a press briefing into a stage for personal humiliation,” Yoon’s lawyer Yoo Jeong-hwa told AFP.
“What kind of legal institution in a civilised country gives a real-time report and commentary to journalists on a detainee’s clothing, especially in a cramped cell nearing 40 deg C?”
Yoon’s lawyers said the former president suffers from “several underlying conditions that pose significant challenges to maintaining his health”, making it difficult for him to fully cooperate with the investigation.
South Korea’s justice minister told a parliamentary hearing that it was “frankly embarrassing for a former president to behave that way”.
“He had been wearing a short-sleeved top and trousers, but reportedly removed his prison uniform when the special counsel team attempted to enforce the arrest warrant, only to put it back on immediately after they left,” Mr Jung Sung-ho said.
“We will ensure he is treated with appropriate dignity, without raising any suspicion of preferential treatment, in light of his former position,” he added. AFP
S. Korea’s Yoon resists questioning by lying down in underwear
Prosecutors obtained a fresh arrest warrant to forcibly bring the former leader in for questioning over allegations of election tampering. But they were “unable to do so due to his strong refusal’, prosecutor Oh Jeong-hee said. Yoon was arrested after he tried to impose martial law on Dec 3, sending troops to parliament to prevent lawmakers from voting down his declaration. He faces a litany of charges, from insurrection to election tampering, but has refused multiple times to appear at his summons. South Korea’s justice minister said it was “frankly embarrassing for a former president to behave that way”
SEOUL : South Korea’s impeached former president Yoon Suk Yeol lay on his prison cell floor in his underwear to resist attempts to interrogate him, prosecutors said today.
Prosecutors obtained a fresh arrest warrant yesterday to forcibly bring the former leader in for questioning over allegations of election tampering.
However, they were “unable to do so due to his strong refusal”, prosecutor Oh Jeong-hee told reporters.
“The suspect refused arrest while lying on the floor without wearing his prison-issued clothing,” she said.
“Due to concerns over safety incidents, physical force was withheld, and the execution of the warrant was temporarily suspended.”
Yoon was wearing “a sleeveless top and prison-issued briefs”, prosecutors said, calling it the “most appropriate way” to describe his attire given the “serious nature of the situation”.
Prosecutors informed Yoon they would have to carry out physical force if necessary in the next attempt.
Yoon was arrested after he tried to impose martial law on Dec 3, sending troops to parliament to prevent lawmakers from voting down his declaration and plunging the country into political turmoil.
He faces a litany of charges, from insurrection to election tampering, but has refused multiple times to appear at his summons.
Yoon’s legal team said the prosecutors had shown a “disturbing disregard” for “basic human decency”.
“The special counsel turned what should have been a press briefing into a stage for personal humiliation,” Yoon’s lawyer Yoo Jeong-hwa told AFP.
“What kind of legal institution in a civilised country gives a real-time report and commentary to journalists on a detainee’s clothing, especially in a cramped cell nearing 40°C?”
Yoon’s lawyers said the former president suffers from “several underlying conditions that pose significant challenges to maintaining his health”, making it difficult for him to fully cooperate with the investigation.
South Korea’s justice minister told a parliamentary hearing that it was “frankly embarrassing for a former president to behave that way”.
“He had been wearing a short-sleeved top and trousers, but reportedly removed his prison uniform when the special counsel team attempted to enforce the arrest warrant, only to put it back on immediately after they left,” Jung Sung-ho said.
“We will ensure he is treated with appropriate dignity, without raising any suspicion of preferential treatment, in light of his former position,” he added.