[News Today] SEEKING WARRANT TO DETAIN YOON

[LEAD]
Time is ticking, and the Corruption Investigation Office has just 48 hours from President Yoon Suk Yeol's arrest. Meanwhile President Yoon's team filed for a review of the legality of the arrest. Investigators will decide if another detainment warrant should be requested after a verdict is out.

[REPORT]
The Corruption Investigation Office has 48 hours since the president's arrest to either release him or request another warrant for detainment.

It seems highly likely that another detainment warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol will be requested since ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and other suspects of insurrection have already been arrested.

Kim Kyung-soo / Lawyer for KBS
Unlike an arrest warrant, a warrant for detention is issued when there is evidence tampering concern or a flight risk, or when the crime is serious.

Even if a warrant for detention is to be requested, it remains to be seen if the warrant would be requested from the Seoul Western District Court like the previous two arrest warrants or from the Seoul Central District Court as the president's legal team asked for.

Whichever court it may be, the prosecution must decide whether to indict the president within twenty days of the warrant issuance.

Once indictment is underway, President Yoon will stand in court as the accused in early February at the earliest.

However, the CIO does not have the authority to directly indict the president.

Once the investigation is close to being wrapped up, the CIO must ask a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office for indictment.

The CIO and the prosecution had agreed to divide the twenty days given to them and question the president for ten days each.

Kim Seok-woo/ Vice Minister of Justice (Legislation & Judiciary Committee, Jan. 10)
If the CIO arrests the president, it's been agreed that the CIO would question him for 10 days and the prosecution another 10 days.

Earlier, the CIO had handed over defense intelligence commander Moon Sang-ho to the military prosecution after just eight days since he was arrested. However, a CIO official said that the situation is fluid in the case of the president.