The Seoul Central District Court's Criminal Agreement Division 35, presided over by Chief Judge Baek Dae-hyeon, ruled at the first-trial sentencing hearing at 2 p.m. on the 16th for former President Yoon, who was indicted on charges including "obstructing an arrest," that the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) can investigate the president's insurrection charge.
The court said, "The defendant's charge of abuse of power and obstruction of another's rights and the charge of being the ringleader of an insurrection share the same facts and are directly connected without any intermediate act or other intervening cause," adding, "In the course of investigating the abuse of power and obstruction of another's rights, the defendant's charge of being the ringleader of an insurrection would naturally come to light, and the relevance is recognized." It continued, "Therefore, the CIO has investigative authority over both the defendant's abuse of power and obstruction of another's rights and the charge of being the ringleader of an insurrection."
The court also found no issue with the CIO applying for and obtaining an arrest warrant for former President Yoon from the Seoul Western District Court. The court said, "The CIO Act provides that the Criminal Procedure Act applies mutatis mutandis," and added, "The defendant's alleged crimes of being the ringleader of an insurrection and abuse of power and obstruction of another's rights took place at the presidential office located in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and when the CIO investigated the defendant's alleged offenses, the defendant resided at the presidential residence in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, so under the Criminal Procedure Act, territorial jurisdiction under the Criminal Procedure Act is recognized for the Seoul Western District Court, which has jurisdiction over Yongsan-gu, Seoul."