Justice Ministry denies claims former president Yoon at risk of eyesight loss
Published: 16 Aug. 2025, 14:07
Updated: 17 Aug. 2025, 14:09
![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/2025/08/17/877b4408-5075-4564-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]
Korea’s Justice Ministry denied allegations that former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is being held at Seoul Detention Center, is at risk of losing his eyesight due to inadequate medical care.
In a statement on Friday, the ministry said Yoon has received appropriate treatment within the scope permitted for inmates, including two external consultations at Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital.
“We have provided all necessary medical services allowed for detainees,” the ministry said. “It is difficult to conclude, as some claim, that his health — including his eye condition — is in serious decline. The assertion that he is at risk of blindness due to lack of treatment is not true.”
Yoon’s legal representatives have previously argued that he was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy but has been unable to undergo procedures for three months, leaving him on the verge of blindness.
The ministry countered by noting that Yoon received ophthalmology treatment at Hallym Hospital in Anyang on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials also confirmed that he was escorted in handcuffs and an electronic anklet during his hospital visits, in accordance with standard security protocols for detainees.
The treatment of the former president has drawn criticism from conservative lawmakers. Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party denounced what she called “inhumane treatment and humiliation” of a former president, warning that the situation could escalate into an international human rights issue.
The Justice Ministry, however, defended its procedures, stressing that security measures such as handcuffs are standard practice for inmates taken outside detention facilities and are intended to preempt accusations of preferential treatment.
Yoon has repeatedly refused to comply with summonses from two special prosecutors, citing health concerns. The former president is currently on trial on charges including abuse of power and obstruction of official duties in connection with the Dec. 3 martial law incident. He was taken back into custody on July 10 and remains incarcerated at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, south of Seoul.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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