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South Korea investigators seek to extend President Yoon's detention / Photo: JUNG YEON-JE - AFP
South Korea investigators seek to extend President Yoon's detention
South Korean prosecutors asked a court Friday for a new arrest warrant for detained President Yoon Suk Yeol as he again refused questioning by investigators probing his failed martial law bid.
Yoon threw the nation into chaos on December 3 when he attempted to impose martial law, citing the need to combat threats from "anti-state elements".
His bid lasted just six hours, as the soldiers he directed to storm parliament failed to stop lawmakers from voting to reject the move.
In the following weeks Yoon was suspended and impeached by parliament, before holding out at his residence protected by an elite presidential guard unit which resisted attempts by investigators to arrest him.
Yoon was finally arrested in a dawn raid on Wednesday, but the warrant allowed investigators to hold him for just 48 hours.
They sought a new one Friday that will likely extend his detention by 20 days if approved, giving prosecutors time to formalise an indictment.
- Refused to cooperate -
Yoon, however, has refused to cooperate with investigators or answer questions.
"He has sufficiently expressed his basic stance to the investigators on the first day," Yoon lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon said Friday.
The lawyer said the impeached president had fully explained his position to investigators and had no reason to answer questions.
Yoon's supporters gathered Friday outside the Seoul court where investigators filed the new warrant, linking arms in an apparent attempt to block them, Yonhap news agency reported.
A new poll published Friday suggested the approval rating of Yoon's People Power Party had improved despite his arrest.
Yoon is facing possible criminal charges of insurrection, which could see him jailed for life -- or executed -- if he is found guilty.
In a parallel probe, the Constitutional Court is deciding whether to uphold Yoon's impeachment.
If that happens, Yoon would lose the presidency and fresh elections would have to be held within 60 days.
A lawmaker from the ruling People Power Party on Friday described the final moments before Yoon's arrest, describing him as unfazed, even making sandwiches for his legal team.
When prosecutors arrived with the arrest warrant, one of Yoon's final requests was to visit his pet dog.
A.Riccobono--INP
