South Korea’s impeached former president, Yoon Suk Yeol, lay on his prison cell floor in his underwear to resist efforts to interrogate him, prosecutors said on Friday.
On Thursday, prosecutors had obtained a new arrest warrant to forcibly bring the former leader in for questioning regarding allegations of election tampering. However, prosecutor Oh Jeong-hee told reporters that they were “unable to do so due to his strong refusal.”
“The suspect refused arrest while lying on the floor without wearing his prison-issued clothing,” she said. “Due to concerns over safety incidents, physical force was withheld, and the execution of the warrant was temporarily suspended.”
Prosecutors described Yoon’s attire as “a sleeveless top and prison-issued briefs,” calling this the “most appropriate way” to describe his clothing given the “serious nature of the situation.” They added that there was no information on the color of his undergarments.
Prosecutors informed Yoon that they would use physical force if necessary during their next attempt to bring him in.
Yoon was arrested after he attempted to impose martial law on December 3. He had sent troops to parliament to prevent lawmakers from voting down his declaration, which had plunged the country into political chaos.
He faces a long list of charges, from insurrection to election tampering, but has repeatedly refused to appear for questioning.
Yoon’s legal team said the prosecutors had shown a “disturbing disregard” for “basic human decency.” His lawyer, Yoo Jeong-hwa, told AFP, “The special counsel turned what should have been a press briefing into a stage for personal humiliation.” He added, “What kind of legal institution in a civilized country gives a real-time report and commentary to journalists on a detainee’s clothing, especially in a cramped cell nearing 40 degrees [Celsius] (104 degrees Fahrenheit)?”
Yoon’s lawyers also stated that the former president suffers from “several underlying conditions that pose significant challenges to maintaining his health,” making it difficult for him to fully cooperate with the investigation.
