South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has spent his first night in a solitary cell after being formally detained for up to 20 days. A court issued the detention warrant on Sunday, following an investigation into whether he committed insurrection by declaring martial law on December 3.
Yoon was arrested last week and underwent questioning for 48 hours before being transferred to the Seoul Detention Centre. He was given a standard khaki uniform and had his photograph taken for identification. The facility’s physical inspection is not only for health checks but also to verify if inmates are hiding anything.
Inmates in detention facilities like Yoon receive a two-piece khaki-coloured uniform, while convicted inmates wear blue-grey uniforms. His solitary cell measures 12 square metres, larger than the usual single cells.
As a pre-trial detainee, Yoon will follow the same daily routine as other inmates, including rising at 6:30 am and lights out at 9 pm. He will receive 2,500 calories of traditional Korean food per day, costing around $1.09 per meal. His first night’s dinner was bean sprout soup, barbecued beef, and kimchi.
Yoon faces up to 20 days in detention before an indictment is brought, followed by six months if charged. The investigation against him is led by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which must refer any case to prosecutors’ office for further action. Insurrection is a serious crime that South Korean presidents do not have immunity from, carrying potentially death penalties.
Yoon’s lawyers argue the arrest was illegal due to the warrant being issued in the wrong jurisdiction and lack of mandate for their probe. The case highlights the growing scrutiny on South Korea’s president and high-ranking officials, with Yoon facing a possible 30-year prison sentence if convicted.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/mugshot-khaki-uniform-solitary-cell-south-koreas-detained-president-yoon-2025-01-20