CIO Transfers Investigation of Yoon Suk Yeol’s Martial Law Bid to Prosecution

Seoul: The South Korean state anti-corruption agency, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), has transferred its investigation into President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law bid to the prosecution, requesting that he be indicted on charges of insurrection and abuse of power.

Investigation Records Handed Over to Prosecution

The CIO handed over over 30,000 pages of investigation records to the prosecution, compiled in 69 books. Since the CIO does not have the authority to indict a sitting president, the case will now be in the hands of the prosecution.

“The suspect continues to be uncooperative and defy the procedures under the criminal justice system despite facing nationally serious charges of being a leader of an insurrection,” said Lee Jae-seung, the CIO deputy chief, during a press briefing.

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Charges Against Yoon Suk Yeol

Yoon faces accusations of colluding with then-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others to instigate a riot by declaring martial law on December 3. Additionally, he is charged with abusing his power by sending troops to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting down the decree.

Yoon’s Arrest and Impeachment Trial

Yoon is currently being held at the Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, south of Seoul. A Constitutional Court trial is also ongoing to determine whether to uphold or dismiss his impeachment, which was initiated by the National Assembly. If the impeachment is upheld, Yoon will be removed from office, prompting a snap presidential election within 60 days. If dismissed, he will be reinstated.

Refusal to Cooperate with Investigators

The CIO managed to question Yoon once, on the day of his arrest, but the president exercised his right to remain silent. He has since refused to cooperate with investigators and defied all subsequent orders to appear for questioning. Investigators also faced difficulties in trying to forcibly bring him to the CIO office from the detention center.

Prosecution’s Next Steps

The prosecution is expected to seek an extension of Yoon’s arrest and file charges against him following additional questioning around February 5.