A Seoul court turned down a second request on Saturday ( Jan 25 ) to extend Yoon Suk Yeol’s detention because of his unsuccessful attempt to declare martial law, putting pressure on prosecutors to bring charges against him quickly.
Yoon became the first sitting North Korean head of state to remain detained in a criminal probe last week on rebellion costs.
His Dec. 3 martial law order only lasted for about six days before lawmakers voted against it, but it still managed to dip South Korea into its worst political crisis in years.
According to prosecutors, the Seoul Central District Court on Saturday turned down a demand for a detention improvement.
This comes in response to a decision from the same courtroom a day before when a judge said it was difficult to “find sufficient grounds” to give an extension.
The disgraced president had been planned to remain in custody until Feb. 6 for questioning before officially indicting him, but that strategy will now need to be changed.
” With the judge’s dismissal of the extension, prosecution must now work swiftly to formally indict Yoon to keep him behind restaurants”, Yoo Jung-hoon, an attorney and political critic, told AFP.
Yoon’s legal team claims that prosecutors lack constitutional authority, and Yoon has refused to cooperate with the judicial investigation.
The Constitutional Court, if it upholds his impeachment, will also hold a distinct reading for the suspended chairman, who will then be formally removed from office.
Therefore, within 60 days, an election may be required.