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South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol attends the fourth hearing of his impeachment trial over his short-lived imposition of martial law at the Constitutional Court in Seoul on January 23, 2025. /CFP
South Korean prosecutors on Saturday made another request to extend President Yoon Suk-yeol's detention beyond its initial period for a probe into his botched martial law attempt last month, after a Seoul court rejected their earlier request the previous day, Yonhap reported.
Based on precedent, the prosecution's right to conduct supplementary investigations on cases referred by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) is recognized, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office said in a press release, explaining why it made another request.
The prosecution first requested Yoon's extended detention on Thursday, when the CIO, which had already investigated Yoon's case, transferred it to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.
The Seoul Central District Court then ruled that the prosecution had no good reason to continue the investigation into Yoon's case, as the prosecution only needs to decide whether to indict Yoon.
By law, investigation and indictment are separated to ensure fairness in investigation.
The prosecution was expected to indict Yoon under detention for insurrection and other charges this weekend.
A warrant to keep Yoon in custody for up to 20 days, including the arrest period, was issued by another court on January 19, making Yoon the country's first incumbent president to be formally arrested.
The CIO and the prosecution agreed to jointly investigate Yoon's insurrection charge by questioning the impeached president for 10 respective days.
Yoon was apprehended in the presidential office on January 15, becoming the country's first sitting president to be arrested.
The motion to impeach Yoon was passed through the National Assembly on December 14 last year and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.
Yoon, who was named by investigative agencies as a suspected ringleader on an insurrection charge, declared martial law on the night of December 3 last year, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
(With input from Xinhua)