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| ▲ This photo, taken Jan. 1, 2025, shows Oh Dong-woon, chief of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, answering questions from reporters at the government complex building in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, after a Seoul court issued a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol. (Yonhap) |
CIO chief-Yoon
CIO chief vows to execute detention warrant against Yoon within valid period
SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- The chief of the anti-corruption agency vowed Wednesday to execute a warrant to detain impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol by early next week, calling on the presidential security service not to block the agency's law enforcement.
The Seoul Western District Court issued a warrant to detain Yoon on Tuesday on charges of masterminding the short-lived Dec. 3 martial law declaration, orchestrating the insurrection and abusing power. Yoon has become the first sitting South Korean president to face arrest.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) requested the warrant as Yoon ignored all three summonses to appear for questioning over the martial law bid.
Oh Dong-woon, the CIO chief, told reporters that the agency will execute the detention warrant, which is valid for a week until Monday.
"(In regard to the timing), a joint investigation team is discussing it and will carry out the execution of the warrant within the valid period," Oh said.
He also stressed that the presidential security service should cooperate in investigators' warrant execution, warning that should it attempt to block a proceeding to arrest Yoon, the move may amount to abuse of power and obstruction of justice.
Yoon's defense team earlier said it cannot accept the detention warrant and called it "illegal and invalid," arguing it was issued following a request from an investigative body with no effective jurisdiction.
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