President Yoon Suk Yeol Moved to Solitary Confinement

According to Shin Yong Hae, head of the Korea Correctional Service, Yoon was transferred to a 12-square-meter cell at the detention center in Uiwang, south of Seoul, on January 19 after the Seoul Western District Court issued an official arrest warrant. Yoon was previously arrested and detained at the facility on January 15.

Mr. Shin added that Mr. Yoon's cell, which is usually used to hold five to six people, is similar in size to that of previous former presidents.

In a statement to South Korean lawmakers, Mr. Shin said that Mr. Yoon had cooperated in completing detention procedures such as taking photos of the suspect and conducting health checks. In addition, a separate prison officer has been assigned to ensure the president's safety.

In addition, the Correctional Service is also cooperating with the police and the Presidential Security Service (PSS) to ensure security amid concerns that Mr. Yoon's supporters may take complicated actions such as trying to free the detained president.

Earlier, when the court issued an official arrest warrant for Mr. Yoon on January 19, many of the president's supporters stormed the courthouse to protest, injuring several police officers. An official from the Corruption Prevention Office for Senior Officials (CIO) said the agency would seek police cooperation to ensure the safety of investigators investigating the case.

Meanwhile, Mr. Yoon's lawyer called on the Corruption Prevention Office (CIO) to immediately withdraw its decision to restrict the right to visit the detained president.

"The restriction on family visits is not intended as an investigation but simply an act of protest against the president," lawyer Yun Gap Geun said in a statement.

In another related development, on January 20, the CIO sent six investigators to the place where President Yoon was being held because he continued to refuse to comply with the summons to appear in court for questioning related to his act of declaring martial law.

Accordingly, Mr. Yoon ignored the CIO's order to appear in court for questioning at 10:00 a.m. on January 20, and this was the second consecutive day that Mr. Yoon made such a move.

The CIO previously said it was considering using force to execute the summons because Mr. Yoon refused to voluntarily cooperate with the investigation. The agency stressed that this was permitted by law and had court precedent.

According to a CIO official, with the recent arrest warrant from the court, Mr. Yoon will be detained until January 28 and if the court extends it, he will continue to be detained until February 7. The CIO will continue to negotiate with the prosecution on when to transfer the case to the agency for further investigation and prosecution if there is sufficient evidence.

President Yoon is facing charges of sedition and abuse of power for declaring martial law on December 3, 2024.