Reuters
South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), in Gwacheon, South Korea, on January 15, 2025.
South Korea's Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said Wednesday that during the investigation conducted from 11am to 1:30pm local time, the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol consistently refused to make any statements and declined to allow the questioning process to be recorded or videotaped.
Local media quoted the CIO as saying that it is currently negotiating with the presidential security service on whether to transfer Yoon to the Seoul Detention Center for custody. Additionally, it is considering applying for a detention warrant from the Seoul Western District Court, which issued the arrest warrant against Yoon.
If approved, the detention period could be extended to a maximum of 20 days. The CIO plans to transfer Yoon to the prosecution after 10 days of detention.
In response, Yoon's legal team issued a statement emphasizing that the CIO does not have the authority to investigate the president and the arrest warrant is "illegal."
The team vowed to hold the CIO and the police legally accountable for the unlawful execution of the arrest warrant, according to the statement.
