Attempt to arrest ex-President Yoon at Seoul Detention Center fails
Published: 01 Aug. 2025, 12:46
![Former President Yoon Suk Yeol leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on July 9 after attending a pretrial detention hearing. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/08/01/877b4408-5075-4564-b046-e3104a16b102.jpg)
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on July 9 after attending a pretrial detention hearing. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
The special counsel team arrived at the Seoul Detention Center on Friday to execute an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, but came away empty-handed.
The team, led by Deputy Special Counsel Moon Hong-joo, attempted to enforce the warrant at the Seoul Detention Center in Gyeonggi at around 9 a.m., accompanied by a prosecutor and an investigator.
They initially sought to persuade Yoon to appear for questioning voluntarily and, if refused, intended to approach his cell and direct correctional officers to carry out the arrest. The attempt ultimately failed.
“We were unable to execute the arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk Yeol today due to his strong refusal,” the team said at 11 a.m.
Yoon has been in custody at the Seoul Detention Center since July 10, after being detained under a separate special counsel probe into insurrection charges. The counsel had attempted to summon him on Tuesday and Wednesday.
When Yoon refused both times, citing health issues, the team sought an arrest warrant, which was granted Thursday morning. The warrant is valid through Aug. 7.
![Former President Yoon Suk Yeol leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on July 9 after attending a pretrial detention hearing. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/08/01/dcccc58c-de51-449d-890a-9ea8b0503b5b.jpg)
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol leaves the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on July 9 after attending a pretrial detention hearing. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Yoon’s legal team says he has been diagnosed by a university hospital as at risk of vision loss and suffering from a thermoregulation disorder, rendering him unfit to undergo investigation or trial. However, the special counsel team said it had not been officially notified of any medical condition.
Yoon is under investigation for allegedly intervening in a by-election nomination in 2022 in return for in-kind political polling services from political broker Myung Tae-kyun. Myung is believed to have conducted illegal opinion polls on 81 occasions. Yoon allegedly pushed for former conservative People Power Party lawmaker Kim Young-sun to be nominated as a quid pro quo.
He is also accused of violating the Public Official Election Act by making false statements during a televised debate in October 2021, when he said that Kim had entrusted her account involved in the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case for “about four months” and incurred a loss.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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