As president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol lived in a sumptuous hilltop mansion, threw events and had a small military of private guards. Nowadays, he’s by myself in a 107-square-foot prison mobile, consuming easy meals like noodles and kimchi soup, and drowsing at the flooring.
This will likely be his new truth for some time but, after he used to be officially arrested on rebel fees early Sunday as a part of an investigation into his ill-fated declaration of martial legislation ultimate month.
Mr. Yoon, 64, has been within the Seoul Detention Middle, a government-run prison south of Seoul, since Wednesday, when he was the first sitting president in South Korean historical past to be detained in a prison investigation. When a district court docket in Seoul issued the warrant to arrest him, he went from being a short lived detainee to a prison suspect going through an indictment and trial.
That modify in standing supposed that Mr. Yoon used to be not likely to go away prison any time quickly. Throughout the subsequent 18 days, prison investigators and prosecutors had been anticipated to indict him on fees of main an rebel during his short-lived martial law ultimate month. If he’s convicted, he’ll face lifestyles imprisonment or the demise penalty.
Mr. Yoon’s new cases had been symbolic of his dramatic fall from grace: from a swaggering head of state to an impeached president to an inmate accused of committing one of the vital worst offenses in South Korea’s prison code. He’s the primary South Korean to stand rebel fees for the reason that former army dictator Chun Doo-hwan, who used to be convicted within the Nineteen Nineties.
As president, Mr. Yoon liked to throw events, steadily inviting like-minded politicians to night beverages or even cooking and serving rolled egg and barbeque to his presidential press corps. He confirmed off his well-honed entertaining talents in another country when he belted out “American Pie” all the way through a White Area dinner in 2023.
Now, Mr. Yoon will get up to not presidential aides and cooks catering to his wishes, however to a easy prison breakfast most often made up of dumpling soup, bread or cereals. A median meal in prison prices $1.20.
The dramatic political upheaval he unharnessed seems to have surprised him up to on a regular basis South Koreans.
“Paradoxically, it used to be after I used to be impeached that I in point of fact discovered that I’m, certainly, the president,” Mr. Yoon said in a lengthy statement on Wednesday.
Many South Korean politicians and dignitaries — together with two former presidents and Lee Jae-yong, the pinnacle of the Samsung conglomerate — had been held on the Seoul Detention Middle in Uiwang, a town south of Seoul. When he used to be a prosecutor, Mr. Yoon helped put one of the vital two former presidents, Park Geun-hye, there on corruption fees. The prison additionally holds one of the most nation’s maximum notorious demise row inmates, together with serial killers.
Govt officers mentioned Mr. Yoon would get no particular remedy, aside from that he could be stored in a room of his personal, clear of different detainees and inmates. After his formal arrest, he used to be anticipated to head thru a easy scientific checkup and obtain a toothbrush and different must haves for prison lifestyles. He could be assigned an inmate quantity and a pea-green prison uniform.
His mobile may have a TV set, a sink, a small cabinet, a studying table that doubles as a dinner desk, and a foldable bed for drowsing. The mobile has a rest room however no bathe. The gap will likely be monitored across the clock thru closed-circuit tv.
Mr. Yoon has been an avid follower of right-wing YouTubers who supported his authorities and spread conspiracy theories that depicted his home enemies as bad sympathizers with North Korea and China. Since he declared martial legislation on Dec. 3, Mr. Yoon has mentioned his motion used to be impressed partly by means of the similar concern, indignation and suspicions unfold by means of the extremists on YouTube.
The prison TV presentations best methods approved by means of the Ministry of Justice. Inmates have no get admission to to the web, together with YouTube. At rallies calling for Mr. Yoon’s arrest in fresh weeks, some protesters held indicators that learn: “Yoon Suk Yeol: It’s time for a virtual detox!”
Yang Kyeung-soo, a hard work union chief who had frolicked in a solitary mobile within the Seoul Detention Middle, posted prison survival recommendations on X. “You must discover ways to save heat water since you wash your personal dishes. For those who consume the whole thing they serve, you are going to achieve weight briefly.”
Mr. Yoon used to be anticipated to fulfill steadily along with his lawyers in a visiting space to arrange for his trials. One at a time, the rustic’s Constitutional Court docket is deliberating whether or not the Nationwide Meeting’s vote on Dec. 14 to question him used to be reliable and if he will have to be officially got rid of from place of job.
Mr. Yoon’s martial legislation lasted best six hours for the reason that opposition-dominated Nationwide Meeting voted it down. However all the way through that temporary duration, he ordered army commanders to snatch the Meeting and arrest his political enemies, in line with prosecutors who’ve arrested and indicted the army generals accused of serving to Mr. Yoon dedicate rebel.
Mr. Yoon and his legal professionals insisted that his imposition of martial legislation used to be a sound use of presidential energy.
Once they detained Mr. Yoon on Wednesday, officers from the rustic’s Corruption Investigation Place of job For Top-ranking Officers puzzled him till he used to be despatched to leisure in a mobile on the Seoul Detention Middle. However he has since refused to go away his mobile to stand extra wondering.
“He made his elementary positions recognized all the way through the primary day of wondering, and he not feels a explanation why or wish to matter himself to a question-and-answer form of interrogation,” mentioned considered one of his legal professionals, Seok Dong-hyeon.
When Ms. Park, the previous president, used to be held within the detention middle, die-hard supporters accumulated close to its partitions each morning and shouted “Just right morning, President Park Geun-hye!”
Since Mr. Yoon’s arrival, some supporters have camped out of doors, calling his impeachment and his arrest “null and void.”