South Korea: CIO says no plans to forcibly bring in Yoon for questioning Tuesday morning

The state anti-corruption agency said Tuesday it had no plans to forcibly bring in President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning before his scheduled attendance at his impeachment trial later in the day, Yonhap reports. 

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) sent investigators to the Seoul Detention Center on Monday to forcibly bring in the detained president after he refused to comply with multiple orders to appear for further questioning over his failed martial law bid.

The investigators withdrew after a six-hour standoff.

"After arriving at the detention center, (investigators) met with his lawyers to discuss bringing him in, but the lawyers kept refusing (to cooperate)," a CIO official told reporters. "As the impeachment trial's hearing is scheduled for this afternoon and notification has been given of his attendance, bringing him in will be difficult in the morning."

The official also said a notice was sent to the detention center on Monday informing it of a ban on all correspondence involving Yoon over "concerns he might destroy evidence."

"President Yoon is the sitting president but also a suspect," the official said. "My understanding is that questioning in writing is not being considered at the moment."

As written before detained President Yoon Suk Yeol has been moved to a solitary cell at the Seoul Detention Center's general wing after he was placed under formal arrest over the weekend, a correctional official said Monday.