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Special counsel, ex-President Yoon clash over reason for underwear attire during detention attempt

Published: 04 Aug. 2025, 18:48 Updated: 04 Aug. 2025, 18:50

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol leaves the office of special counsel Cho Eun-suk, located within the Seoul High Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul, after questioning on July 6, 2025. [YONHAP]

A special counsel team and former President Yoon Suk Yeol's lawyers clashed Monday over why Yoon was dressed only in his underwear when investigators tried to detain him at his prison cell last week.

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team said last Friday that the jailed former president resisted their attempt to execute a detention warrant for him by lying on the floor of his cell wearing only his underwear.

The team sought to bring in Yoon for questioning over allegations that he and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, meddled in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections.

When he resisted, the team withdrew after two hours but vowed to try again, using physical force if necessary.

Yoon's lawyers refuted the team's characterization on Monday, saying he was dressed in his prison uniform, waiting to meet with his lawyer, when the special counsel team arrived and demanded he comply with his detention.

The former president asked the team to consult with his lawyer, but they refused, saying the lawyer had not submitted an appointment letter to the team, the lawyers said in a statement to the press.

"Former President Yoon thought it had become impossible to meet with his lawyer that morning, and because it was so hot, he briefly took off his uniform," they said.

"However, after a long time, the special counsel team came back and requested that he comply with the detention, and former President Yoon, dressed only in his underwear, was startled and covered his body with a blanket," they added, warning they would take legal steps against the team and Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho in the event of a recurrence.

At a press briefing later in the day, assistant special counsel Moon Hong-ju disputed the claim, noting he was at the scene.

"His taking off his prison uniform was to escape the heat? It didn't appear that way to us," he said. "We gave a briefing that he stubbornly resisted while lying down, and the justice minister said the same upon receiving the opinion of the detention center."

Yonhap