Former President Yoon Suk-yeol has been re-arrested approximately four months after his prior release in March. The Special Prosecutor’s Office for national security investigations, focusing on the December 3rd emergency decree case, obtained new arrest warrants on July 10, citing risks of potential evidence destruction.
Following a request from the Special Prosecution Team led by Choi Eun-seok, the Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant around 2:07 a.m., citing suspicion of obstruction of official duties. Investigators had already considered Yoon Suk-yeol a central figure in the alleged coup-related wrongdoing, and now plan to continue their in-depth probe with him in custody.
The court held a hearing from 2:22 p.m. to 9:01 p.m. During the session, prosecutors presented a detailed 178-page PowerPoint and accompanying hundreds of pages of legal briefs, outlining allegations including interference in State Council deliberations, forging official documents, and misuse of communication channels.
Yoon Suk-yeol’s legal team attorneys including Kim Hong-il, Bae Bo-yoon, Song Jin-ho, and others prepared a defense argument lasting approximately 20 minutes. They argued that the charges cited by prosecutors align with state affairs and should not constitute new grounds for re-arrest. They also claimed all key individuals were already detained, material evidence had been seized, and travel restrictions were in place, minimizing both flight risk and evidence tampering.
Despite these defenses, the court sided with the prosecutors highlighting concerns over deleted messaging app data and changes in witness testimony allegedly influenced by Yoon’s counsel.
Arriving around evening, Yoon Suk-yeol was transferred by the Ministry of Justice to Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, where he will begin the formal detention process following the execution of the arrest warrant.
