Seoul (South Korea), Jan. 16 (LaPresse/AP) – Lawyers representing dismissed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he will refuse to submit to further questioning after being detained by anti-corruption authorities, claiming the investigation against him is illegal. Yoon exercised his right to remain silent during more than 10 hours of interrogation on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Office for the Investigation of Corruption of High-Level Officials, after a massive operation by law enforcement officials to arrest him at his official residence in Seoul. Investigators expect to proceed with the formal arrest request in the coming days. The anti-corruption agency, which is conducting a joint investigation with the police and the army to determine whether Yoon's declaration of martial law constitutes an attempted insurrection, has 48 hours to request a formal arrest warrant from the court or release him. Yoon's lawyers argued that the arrest warrant issued by the Seoul Western District Court is invalid and asked the court to consider releasing him. The countdown for the arrest warrant is on hold while the court considers the request for review of the arrest warrant submitted by the lawyers. The process can take up to 48 hours.

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