The Justice Ministry has decided to stop providing former President Yoon Suk Yeol with a separate room for private meetings with lawyers and has also dismissed the head of the Seoul Detention Center for granting such privileges.
Under the change, Yoon will now meet his lawyers in the same facilities used by other inmates, though for safety reasons he will continue to exercise and bathe separately.
The move follows repeated refusals by Yoon to comply with a special counsel’s summons, prompting Justice Minister Chung Sung-ho to order corrective measures to prevent any recurrence of “special treatment” controversies.
The ruling Democratic Party has criticized Yoon’s detention conditions, noting he spent a total of 395 hours in 328 lawyer meetings, far exceeding what is typical for other inmates.
Former first Lady Kim Keon-hee, who was detained on Aug. 12, is using the standard meeting rooms under similar safety-related exceptions for exercise and bathing.
Kim Do-hyung, head of Suwon Detention Center, will replace Seoul Detention Center chief Kim Hyun-woo on Aug. 18, as part of what the ministry called a personnel shake-up to ensure fair inmate management.