Former President Yoon Seok-youl's Re-arrest: Who is Judge Nam Se-jin?
Former President Yoon Seok-youl returned to detention just four months after being released.
The arrest decision was made at 2:15 a.m. on the 10th, following approximately 12 hours of deliberation. The reason for the arrest was "concerns about the destruction of evidence."
Public interest is growing in Judge Nam Se-jin of the Seoul Central District Court, who issued the arrest warrant, overturning the previous decision made by Chief Judge Ji Kwi-yeon, which had canceled the arrest four months ago.
Judge Nam Se-jin, known for strictly applying arrest criteria
Judge Nam Se-jin entered the legal profession after graduating from Daijin Girls' High School and the Law School of Seoul National University, as part of the 33rd class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute.
He started as a preliminary judge at the Seoul Central District Court in 2004 and has served at various courts including the Eastern District Court of Seoul, Daejeon District Court, and Uijeongbu District Court. Since February of this year, he has been serving as the head of the warrant review division at the Seoul Central District Court.
Notably, he is recognized in the legal community for applying arrest criteria very strictly.
Strict application of arrest criteria
In March, he rejected arrest warrants for former BHC Chairman Park Hyun-jong and members of the Korean Federation of University Student Progressives (Daejin-Yeon), stating there was "insufficient necessity for arrest." In May, he also dismissed arrest warrants for four Daejin-Yeon members who attempted to enter a building while demanding the resignation of Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae.
Long deliberation of 12 hours and the decision
The substantive examination of the arrest warrant for former President Yoon began at 2:15 p.m. on the 9th and continued for approximately 12 hours.
The special prosecution team prepared a 178-page PowerPoint presentation to emphasize the necessity of arrest during the hearing. Special Prosecutor Park Eok-su, along with prosecutors Kim Jeong-guk and Jo Jae-cheol, as well as seven other prosecutors, participated in the examination.
The special prosecution team presented charges including obstruction of the execution of the arrest warrant, interference with the deliberation and decision-making rights of government ministers, preparation of a post-fact martial law declaration, deletion of information on a private phone, and false public announcements related to martial law, requesting re-arrest of the former president. They pointed out the serious risk of evidence destruction, alleging that the former president's side could influence the investigation of accused individuals and witnesses through the leak of the arrest warrant.
The special prosecution team also submitted an additional opinion document totaling over 300 pages. This document reportedly contains requests to secure the former president's custody for additional investigations into allegations related to foreign exchange, in addition to the charges listed in the arrest warrant.
Based on the special prosecution team's opinions, Judge Nam, who meticulously reviewed charges such as abuse of authority, forgery of official documents, and obstruction of specific public duties, issued the arrest warrant, citing concerns about evidence destruction.
As a result, former President Yoon was rearrested and will be held in a solitary cell at the Seoul Detention Center, four months after being released following Judge Ji Kwi-yeon's cancellation of the arrest warrant on March 8.
Responses from the legal and political communities
Some legal experts believe that considering Judge Nam’s usual calm and rational decision-making style, this decision was based on legal reasoning.
Furthermore, as the arrest of a former president is a matter of national significance, Judge Nam is believed to have made a cautious decision after thoroughly considering all legal factors.
In the political arena, reactions are varied. Democratic Party Supreme Member Kim Byeong-joo expressed on his Facebook, "Yoon Seok-youl has been arrested again," welcoming the end of the "vacation" that was his release, granted by Ji Kwi-yeon.
Members Jeong Cheong-rae and Park Chan-dae, who are running in the Democratic Party leadership election, commented, "Let him live in prison for the crimes he has committed. We welcome his eternal isolation from the world," and "The entire nation has been waiting for this news today. Justice prevails! The insurrection perpetrator goes to prison! Now, the real end of the insurrection begins."
National Power Emergency Response Committee Chairman and Floor Leader Song Eon-seok expressed his regret and concern over the unfortunate situation of a former president being arrested again after the committee meeting, stating, "I sincerely apologize to the people, but I hope that the investigation and trial will be conducted fairly and justly according to the law and principles."
Meanwhile, with Judge Nam issuing the arrest warrant, former President Yoon will undergo a special investigation under detention for a maximum of 20 days. If he is indicted, he may be detained in the detention center for up to six months.
Attention is focused on the upcoming trial process of former President Yoon and the judgments to be made in related trials.
Image Source: Former President Yoon Seok-youl / News1, On the night of July 9, 2025, former President Yoon Seok-youl, who is under special investigation regarding the martial law declaration on December 3, is moving to the waiting area at the Seoul Detention Center after completing his second pre-arrest interrogation at the Seoul Central District Court. 2025.7.9 / News1 (photo cooperative coverage group), News1, Chief Judge Ji Kwi-yeon's comments regarding the exit of reporters during the second public trial of the insurrection leader charges held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-dong, Seoul on April 21, 2025. 2025.4.21 / News1 (photo cooperative coverage group)
