South Korea's impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has had his mug shot taken and undergone a medical examination before spending his first night in detention as a criminal suspect, according to prison officials.
Yoon was arrested in a predawn raid last week and thus became the first sitting South Korean president to be detained amid a criminal investigation into insurrection charges linked to his controversial and failed declaration of martial law.
A South Korean court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon on Sunday over grave concerns about possible destruction of evidence. That made Yoon officially a criminal suspect facing indictment and a trial.
Detention Details and Prison Conditions
Yoon is being housed in a 12-square-meter (129-square-foot) cell in the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang. A commissioner general of Korea Correctional Service, Shin Yong-hae, confirmed such information for a parliamentary session.
"He was assigned to one of the standard rooms used by regular inmates," said Shin.
According to reports, the cell that houses Yoon, while meant to be a five or six-man room, is around the same dimensions as the one where former Presidents were also taken into custody. The cell, though somewhat basic, contains a small table for meals and study, a shelf, a sink, a toilet, and television, but with sharply limited viewing hours.
Yoon received the same treatment as other inmates: he had his mug shot taken and was given a physical examination. According to authorities, he was cooperative with these processes.
Under the prison's rules, Yoon has been given a khaki prison uniform and an inmate number. He will be escorted by his personal security detail whenever he is out of his cell to limit contact with other detainees.
Inmates at the Seoul Detention Center are allowed an hour of daily exercise and a shower once a week. Officials are further said to take extra precautions to continue to keep Yoon in isolation from other jail inmates.
Turbulence in Politics, Legal Battle Still On
Yoon's detention has further plunged South Korea into a political crisis that was sparked by his controversial declaration of martial law on December 3. The declaration lasted just six hours before being overturned by lawmakers, who then impeached him.
The Constitutional Court is currently weighing whether to uphold his impeachment. Meanwhile, Yoon is under criminal investigation on allegations of insurrection and remains in detention.
Yoon has consistently said the investigation is illegal and that he would resist. He had refused to comply with officials when his arrest was made in quite dramatic scenes.
Yoon's detention has been met with fierce backlash from his supporters, culminating in violent protests over the weekend. On Sunday, following the issuance of his formal arrest warrant, hundreds of demonstrators clashed with law enforcement at a Seoul court.
The police said that approximately 300 protesters had gathered behind the court and were throwing glass bottles, rocks, and chairs into the court premises. The police further reported that about 100 of them entered the court premises, breaking windowpanes, damaging walls, and entering the building.
Dozens of rioters were arrested, including at least a few YouTube streamers livestreaming the event. Authorities said 51 police officers were injured, some with head trauma and fractures, in the unrest.
Next Steps
Lawyers for Yoon said he refused to appear for questioning by the Corruption Investigation Office, or CIO, the investigating authority, on Monday. The CIO has said it may consider a forced summons if Yoon continues to decline to cooperate.
The arrest of the former president is a critical juncture for South Korean politics and will have much deeper consequences on its judiciary as well as democratic processes. As the investigation unfolds, this will likely stay at the top of both national and international media headlines.
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