South Korea’s Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol Re-Arrested for 2024 Martial Law Plot

 

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has returned to jail after a Seoul court approved a new detention warrant over his failed attempt to impose martial law last December. The court cited the risk that Yoon could destroy evidence as a reason for approving the warrant. He is now back in solitary confinement at the Seoul Detention Center, where he had previously spent 52 days before being released four months ago due to a legal technicality. Yoon’s detention is part of a widening probe led by a special counsel investigating allegations of insurrection, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power. The martial law bid, which was aimed at quelling political unrest, was seen by critics as a shocking overreach that triggered widespread protests and led to his impeachment. The Constitutional Court upheld his impeachment in April, removing him from office. Before his re-arrest, Yoon had returned to live with his wife and 11 pets in an upscale Seoul apartment. But now, he's confined to a 10 square metre cell, wearing a khaki uniform and sleeping on a floor mattress without air conditioning. Amid a national heat wave, he only has access to a small electric fan that turns off at night. A detention facility official reported inmates were served steamed potatoes and mini cheese breads for breakfast. Yoon skipped his insurrection trial hearing Thursday, citing health reasons, according to his legal team. Prosecutors argue he is a flight risk and have scheduled another round of questioning. His lawyers deny the charges and have criticized the investigation as rushed and politically motivated.

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The detention of former President Yoon Suk Yeol marks a major turn in South Korea’s ongoing political crisis. His arrest follows months of tension since he attempted to invoke martial law in December, a move that deeply unsettled the public and fractured the political landscape. After his removal from office by the Constitutional Court in April, newly elected President Lee Jae Myung launched a special counsel investigation into Yoon’s actions and their national security implications.

The special counsel, consisting of over 200 investigators, is intensifying efforts to uncover whether Yoon deliberately inflamed relations with North Korea to justify martial law. Investigators plan to formally question him on Friday and have already notified his legal team and wife by letter. Opposition lawmaker Park Jie-won, who was once imprisoned in the same detention facility, described the living conditions as extremely basic especially during a heat wave.

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Yoon attended the Wednesday court session on his detention warrant dressed in a dark suit but did not answer questions from the press. While his legal team insists the charges are politically motivated, the court emphasized the risk of evidence tampering as a key reason for the renewed detention.

Meanwhile, over 1,000 of Yoon’s supporters rallied outside the court in 35-degree Celsius heat, waving flags and chanting his name. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik said the detention is an essential step toward uncovering the truth behind the martial law plot and preserving democratic values. “No one is above the law,” Woo declared.

The ex-president’s net worth, estimated at over 7.5 billion won, and his comfortable lifestyle before returning to jail, have added to public scrutiny. The insurrection charge Yoon faces could result in life imprisonment or even capital punishment if found guilty. The legal and political stakes continue to rise rapidly.

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