Ten Young Men Struggle to Subdue Former President Yoon Suk-yeol, Tearing Their Arms Nearly Off

August 8, 2025 | Source: China News Weekly

On August 7, 2025, a group of special prosecutors investigating the alleged illegal activities of former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol’s wife, Kim Keon-hee, attempted for the second time to forcibly bring Yoon Suk-yeol from Seoul Detention Center to an interrogation room. However, the effort failed once again, with Yoon Suk-yeol resisting the attempt with a level of intensity that left the young officers struggling to subdue him.

According to the special prosecutors, the operation began around 8:25 a.m. and involved the use of force. Despite wearing a prison uniform this time—unlike the previous attempt when he had stripped to his underwear—Yoon Suk-yeol remained firm in his refusal to comply. The special prosecutors ultimately deemed the situation too risky and withdrew after over an hour of failed attempts.

Yoon Suk-yeol’s legal team described the process as extremely violent. They stated that approximately ten young officers had grabbed the former president, wrapping their arms around him and holding onto his legs, attempting to lift him from his chair. Yoon Suk-yeol, according to his lawyers, resisted fiercely, shouting, “I think my arms are going to break, please let me go.”

During the incident, the chair Yoon Suk-yeol was sitting on collapsed, causing him to fall to the ground. The lawyers claimed that the physical struggle occurred repeatedly between 8 a.m. and 9:40 a.m. and that they attempted to stop the officers, but were told by the prosecutors to “get out” and warned not to interfere with the official duties.

This is not the first time Yoon Suk-yeol has resisted. On August 1, the special prosecutors had made their first attempt to execute the arrest warrant, but Yoon had stripped off his prison uniform and lay on the floor in just his underwear, completely ignoring the prosecutors’ demands. After two hours of confrontation, the prosecutors withdrew without touching him, warning that if he continued to resist in the future, they would resort to force.

Members of the progressive political camp have since suggested various methods to handle the situation, including wrapping Yoon in a blanket or using restraints and a stretcher to move him out. Some even claimed that “arrests require physical confrontation” and that “without physical contact, how can one arrest someone?”

Legal experts, however, have pointed out that while South Korea’s Penalty Execution and Prisoner Treatment Act imposes strict limits on the methods used to enforce arrest warrants, there are still legal ambiguities regarding the treatment of former presidents in such situations. This has led to a deadlock between the progressive camp and Yoon’s legal team, with neither side able to convince the other.

Meanwhile, the special prosecutors have already submitted an arrest warrant for Kim Keon-hee. If the legal procedures proceed smoothly, they may move to the couple’s private residence in Seoul’s Yeorim-dong next week to execute the warrant, potentially leading to both Yoon and Kim Keon-hee being detained together in the Seoul Detention Center.

However, the legal team has repeatedly emphasized that Kim Keon-hee is in poor health, raising questions about whether she will accept the arrest calmly. On August 6, she had cooperated with the prosecution, appearing for six hours of interrogation and responding to questions. Yet, there have been reports that after Yoon’s initial arrest at the Hannam-dong presidential office, Kim Keon-hee had angrily scolded the guards, demanding, “Why didn’t you shoot?”

This ongoing legal battle between Yoon Suk-yeol and the special prosecutors continues to be a focal point of political and public discourse in South Korea. As both sides remain unmoved, the situation remains highly volatile, with the possibility of further escalation looming.