South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is set to comply with an indictment or a preliminary detention warrant, according to his defense counsel on Wednesday. This statement follows the extension of the arrest warrant issued against the impeached president the day before.
Yoon's lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, assured local reporters that the president intends to participate in a court trial if indicted or if a preliminary detention warrant is sought. A preliminary warrant allows prosecutors to hold a suspect for up to 20 days when immediate detention isn't possible, typically lasting around 10 days.
The defense emphasized that Yoon will not respond to investigations based on what they called an \"invalid\" arrest warrant, insisting that any detention warrant should be issued by the Seoul Central District Court.
Addressing rumors, Yoon Kab-keun denied claims by some parliament members that Yoon had fled the official residence. He confirmed meeting the president at the residence on Tuesday and labeled these allegations as \"malicious rumors\" aimed at tarnishing Yoon's reputation.
The Seoul Western District Court issued a second warrant on Tuesday, extending the original arrest warrant that expired on Monday, allowing authorities to detain Yoon for an additional 48 hours. Earlier, on January 3, investigators tried to arrest Yoon at the presidential residence, but the attempt was thwarted by the presidential security service.
The investigation involves a joint unit comprising the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, the National Office of Investigation, and the defense ministry's investigative headquarters.
Last December 14, the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against Yoon, sending it to the constitutional court for up to 180 days of deliberation, during which Yoon's presidential powers are suspended. Yoon, accused by investigative agencies of being a suspect ringleader in an insurrection charge, declared martial law on December 3, which was promptly revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
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