Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung Holds Meeting on President Yoon's Charges

On January 26, Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung convened a meeting with chief prosecutors from across the nation, including district and high court prosecutors, to discuss the handling of the charges against President Yoon Suk-yeol, which were forwarded by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO). The Special Investigation Headquarters, led by Park Se-hyun, received the case from the CIO on January 23 and subsequently requested an extension of President Yoon's detention period from the court. The prosecution argued that they needed more time to organize over 10,000 pages of records sent by the CIO and to conduct further investigations, as the President was only questioned once on the day of his arrest.

However, the Seoul Central District Court denied the prosecution's request for an extension on two occasions. Chief Judge Kim Seok-beom stated that the CIO law does not explicitly allow for additional investigations by the prosecution after the CIO has concluded its investigation and requested prosecution. He noted that there is insufficient legal basis for the prosecution to conduct extensive compulsory investigations based on an extension of the detention period. Similarly, Judge Choi Min-hye, who reviewed the reapplication on January 25, cited similar reasons for denying the request.

As a result, the prosecution is expected to indict President Yoon on charges of insurrection and abuse of power before the initial detention period expires on January 27, without conducting further questioning of him. This meeting of chief prosecutors is aimed at discussing the direction of the case before proceeding with the indictment.