Prosecutors in South Korea have made a second request to extend the detention of impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol over a criminal investigation into his short-lived martial law declaration after a court rejected their previous request.
The prosecution team investigating the allegations against Mr Yoon filed a request with the Seoul Central District Court on Friday to extend the detention until 6 February, which was dismissed.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which was investigating Mr Yoon, transferred the case to the prosecution on Thursday, since legally the agency cannot indict a president.
“In light of past cases in which prosecutors conducted supplementary investigations, including raids, over CIO-transferred cases, and regulations of the Criminal Procedure Act, prosecutors’ right to a supplementary probe is naturally recognised,” the prosecution argued, according to Yonhap.
The court cited a lack of “substantial reasons” to continue the investigation under the authority of the prosecution, considering the case had already been investigated by the CIO, the country’s anti-corruption agency.
