Yoon's Warrant Review Ends After 5 Hours, Yoon Speaks for 40 Minutes and Concludes with a 5-Minute Statement

The pre-arrest interrogation (warrant review) of President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is accused of being the leader of a rebellion, concluded after about 5 hours.

Judge Cha Eun-kyung of the Seoul Western District Court conducted the warrant review for President Yoon, who is facing charges of rebellion and abuse of power under the Criminal Act, from 2 PM to 6:50 PM on the 18th, lasting 4 hours and 50 minutes.

Attorney Seok Dong-hyun, representing President Yoon, reported that President Yoon spoke directly for about 40 minutes from 4:35 PM to 5:15 PM during the warrant review. It is said that President Yoon also made a final statement for 5 minutes before the conclusion of the review.

In this review, six prosecutors from the Corruption Investigation Office, including Chief Prosecutor Cha Jeong-hyeon, participated, along with eight lawyers representing President Yoon, including Kim Hong-il, Yoon Gap-geun, Song Hae-eun, Seok Dong-hyun, Cha Gi-hwan, Bae Jin-han, Lee Dong-chan, and Kim Gye-ri.

President Yoon, who is detained at the Seoul Detention Center, appeared in court directly in a Ministry of Justice transport vehicle, stating that he would clarify the justification for the martial law.

President Yoon departed from the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, at around 1:25 PM in a Ministry of Justice transport vehicle and arrived at the Seoul Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul, at around 1:55 PM. He entered the court through the underground parking lot without stopping at the photo line set up at the entrance of the court.

The warrant review, which started at 2 PM, involved statements from the Corruption Investigation Office prosecutors and President Yoon's defense team for 70 minutes each, followed by President Yoon's direct statement for about 40 minutes, and then a recess from 5:20 PM for about 20 minutes. The review resumed at 5:40 PM and concluded at 6:50 PM.

The Corruption Investigation Office and the defense team clashed over whether the subsequent actions, such as the blockade of the National Assembly following the declaration of martial law on the 3rd of last month, could be seen as an uprising aimed at disrupting the constitutional order. They also contested whether there was a risk of evidence destruction or flight by President Yoon, whether the Corruption Investigation Office had the authority to investigate rebellion charges, and whether the request for a warrant by the Corruption Investigation Office to the Seoul Western District Court was a jurisdictional violation.

The court will review the arguments and written materials from both sides and decide on the issuance of the warrant as early as late tonight or early morning on the 19th. President Yoon will wait for the result in the detainee waiting room at the Seoul Detention Center.

If the arrest warrant is issued, President Yoon will undergo formal detention procedures and be incarcerated, and if dismissed, he will be released immediately and return to his residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Meanwhile, the longest record for a warrant review since its introduction in 1997 is 10 hours and 6 minutes for former National Intelligence Service Director Seo Hoon. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, took 9 hours and 17 minutes, former President Park Geun-hye took 8 hours and 42 minutes, and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong took 8 hours and 30 minutes.

Kim So-yeon, Hankyung.com reporter sue123@hankyung.com