S. Korean police raid office of special counsel in charge of ex-president Yoon's insurrection

SEOUL -- South Korean police on Tuesday raided the office of a special counsel in charge of former impeached president Yoon Suk-yeol's insurrection and other crimes, according to Yonhap news agency.

The special investigation headquarters under the National Police Agency sent investigators to the office in a bid to seize materials relevant to allegations that the justice ministry attempted to secure a detention space in correctional facilities during the short-lived martial law imposition in December 2024.

The police were quoted as saying that the raid was related to charges against the former head of the correctional service under the justice ministry for engaging in critical duties for the insurrection.

The police special investigative body had continued investigations into Yoon's insurrection and other cases following the conclusion of probes by special counsels.

The special counsel found that the former correctional service chief checked the detention capacity in the Seoul capital area during the martial law imposition under the instructions of Park Sung-jae, former justice minister indicted on charges of his involvement in key missions for the insurrection.

The emergency martial law was declared by Yoon on the night of Dec. 3 in 2024, but it was revoked hours later by the National Assembly.

The constitutional court upheld a motion to impeach Yoon in April last year, officially removing him from office.

The ousted leader was indicted under detention in January 2025 as a suspected ringleader of insurrection.