Ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol Lies Half-Naked on Cell Floor to Block Arrest

Ex-President Yoon Suk-yeol Lies Half-Naked on Cell Floor to Block Arrest — Justice Minister Reveals Bizarre Standoff

In a scene that would seem more fitting for a gangster drama than a detention center, former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol reportedly stripped down to his underwear and lay on the floor of his prison cell to resist the execution of a court-issued arrest warrant.

On August 1, Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho provided an astonishing account of the incident at a parliamentary hearing. According to Jung, Yoon had been wearing his standard prison uniform—short-sleeved top and shorts—but removed it as soon as special prosecutors arrived to carry out the arrest warrant. Once they left, he promptly put his clothes back on.

“It is now clear that former President Yoon deliberately removed his uniform to obstruct the legal execution of the arrest warrant,” Jung told lawmakers. “As a Minister, I find this behavior from a former president deeply embarrassing.”

Earlier that day, a team led by Special Prosecutor Min Jung-ki, who is investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Keon-hee, attempted to enforce the arrest. However, the attempt was aborted after Yoon refused to comply, lying half-naked and motionless on the floor of his cell. He later received legal counsel for about an hour—this time fully dressed in uniform.

Jung described the situation as “practically indescribable” and said that prison staff were unable to apply physical force due to the nature of the standoff. “It was not a scenario where correctional officers could easily use force,” he said. Going forward, he pledged to instruct Seoul Detention Center and the Correctional Bureau to fully cooperate with law enforcement.

“This was unprecedented,” he added, clearly rattled by the incident.

Lawmakers Slam “Disgraceful” Behavior

The incident sparked fierce backlash in the National Assembly, particularly from ruling Democratic Party lawmakers.

Rep. Park Kyun-taek pointed out the contrast with past presidents: “When Prosecutor Yoon jailed Park Geun-hye and Lee Myung-bak, neither of them refused to appear before the special prosecutor. We've never seen this kind of undignified, half-naked resistance.”

He added, “Is someone like this really deserving of the courtesies afforded to former heads of state? Perhaps it’s time to consider moving him from solitary to a shared cell.”

Rep. Lee Sung-yoon didn’t mince words: “This is the kind of behavior you’d expect from gangsters or street punks. What will the public think when they see a former president behaving like this in a detention center?”

Rep. Kim Yong-min voiced broader concerns: “I worry that from now on, inmates will think they can avoid prosecution just by taking off their clothes and lying down. Is the Justice Ministry saying it won’t enforce the law in such cases?”

The bizarre episode has stirred national debate not just about Yoon’s conduct, but about the integrity of law enforcement and the state of presidential accountability in South Korea.