Yoon Seok-youl, former president, refuses summons investigation… "Refuses to leave the holding cell"
The insurrection special investigation team (Special Prosecutor Jo Eun-seok) requested the Seoul Detention Center to cooperate in directing the transfer of former president Yoon Seok-youl to the investigation room at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office for the summons investigation, but the investigation fell through as former President Yoon refused this.
It is unusual for a former president to refuse to be investigated while in custody.
On the afternoon of the 14th, Special Prosecutor Park Ji-young from the insurrection special investigation team briefed at the Seoul High Prosecutors' Office, stating, "We were informed by the correctional authorities that it is virtually impossible to carry out the special prosecutor's transfer directive."
Special Prosecutor Park conveyed that the correctional authorities' position was that former President Yoon was "completely unresponsive and refused to leave the holding cell, and considering that he is a former president, it is difficult to apply force."
The special investigation team emphasized that "the transfer directive is a necessary procedure accompanied by the arrest warrant and is not subject to the will of the suspect." Notably, Special Prosecutor Park pointed out, "The special prosecutor never imagined such a situation," and remarked, "Former President Yoon, having served as a prosecutor for a long time, knows the criminal justice system, especially regarding investigations of detainees, better than anyone else, making this hard to understand.”
The special investigation team reiterated, "The transfer directive is a necessary procedure accompanied by the arrest warrant and is not subject to the will of the suspect."
Call to follow legal procedures… Resummoning scheduled for tomorrow
The special investigation team announced plans to send an official directive to the head of the Seoul Detention Center to again direct the transfer of former President Yoon by 2 PM the following day.
Special Prosecutor Park emphasized, "We hope that the investigation of the defendant, former President Yoon, will definitely take place tomorrow."
When reporters asked, "Are you considering the situation of needing to physically drag him out if he refuses again?" Special Prosecutor Park replied, "We hope it does not come to that." Regarding plans to visit the Seoul Detention Center for the investigation, he dismissed it by saying, "There was considerable public criticism regarding the visit to investigate Kim Geon-hee," adding, "Visiting for an investigation of a detained suspect is no different."
Special Prosecutor Park explained the seriousness of the current situation by stating, "In cases where there is an arrest and indictment, appearing in court is also carried out under an arrest warrant," and likened it to the same situation of refusing the summons. This is interpreted as emphasizing that not responding to a summons in accordance with legal procedures is an extremely unusual circumstance in the criminal justice system.
Image credit: On the afternoon of the 14th, a transport vehicle carrying former President Yoon Seok-youl is entering the Seoul Detention Center. The insurrection special investigation team stated that on this day, former President Yoon refused to leave the holding cell at the Seoul Detention Center, thus they will send a directive to transfer him again by 2 PM on the 15th. 2025.7.15/News1, Yoon Seok-youl / News1
