Yoon meets senior aides at detention center

January 31, 2025

President Yoon Suk Yeol met his senior aides at the Seoul Detention Center on Friday and urged them to carry on their work without being discouraged, a senior presidential official said.

Yoon made the call during his meeting with Chung Jin-suk, his chief of staff, National Security Adviser Shin Won-sik and three other senior aides at the center in Uiwang, south of Seoul.

It marked the first visit by Yoon’s aides since the impeached president was formally detained on Jan. 19 over allegations of insurrection and abuse of power related to his short-lived imposition of martial law last month.

“The presidential office is at the center of state affairs, so do not be discouraged and do your best in your respective positions,” Yoon was quoted as saying by the official. “This is also a place where people live. I am doing well.”

Yoon also asked them whether the medical system functioned well during the Lunar New Year holiday without causing inconvenience to elderly people, according to the official.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials lifted restrictions on Yoon’s meetings with visitors last Friday, but general visits were limited during the Lunar New Year holiday, which ended Thursday.