Special Counsel Makes Second Attempt to Detain Former President Yoon Over Election Meddling Allegations

Seoul: A special counsel team made a second attempt Thursday to execute a warrant to detain jailed former President Yoon Suk Yeol and bring him in for questioning over allegations of election meddling. According to Yonhap News Agency, Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team arrived at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, to execute the warrant against Yoon, who has been held there in custody since July 10 on charges related to his failed attempt to impose martial law in December.

A first attempt to detain him last Friday failed after the former president resisted by lying on the floor of his prison cell wearing only his underwear, as reported by the team. The investigators have stated that they will use physical force if necessary to complete the execution during the second attempt.

Yoon and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, face allegations of receiving free opinion polls from self-proclaimed power broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2022 presidential election. This was allegedly in exchange for securing the nomination of former People Power Party Rep. Kim Young-sun for a parliamentary by-election later that year.