South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office Questions Impeached President Yoon, Legal Team Challenges Arrest Warrant

South Korea’s Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) questioned impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday, although the former leader refused to make any statements and declined to allow the questioning process to be recorded or videotaped. The investigation, which lasted from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. local time, is part of an ongoing probe into corruption allegations.

The CIO revealed that it is in discussions with the presidential security service about potentially transferring Yoon to the Seoul Detention Center for custody. Additionally, the agency is considering applying for a detention warrant from the Seoul Western District Court, which previously issued the arrest warrant for Yoon. If granted, the detention could last up to 20 days, with plans to transfer Yoon to prosecution after 10 days.

Yoon’s legal team swiftly responded, asserting that the CIO lacks the authority to investigate a sitting president and labeled the arrest warrant as “illegal.” They vowed to take legal action against the CIO and police for what they called the unlawful execution of the warrant.