South Korean court dismisses detention warrant in Yoon residence audit

Seoul Central District Court rejected a detention warrant for senior audit official Son Mo, who had been charged with forging documents and manipulating evidence in the investigation of former President Yoon Suk‑yeol’s relocation of the presidential office and residence. The judge said the degree of proof and the possibility of contesting the allegations did not satisfy the criteria for pre‑trial detention.

The audit, conducted by the Board of Audit and Inspection from late 2022 to September 2024, examined the transfer of the presidential workplace to the former Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan and the move of the official residence to the former foreign‑minister’s compound in Hannam‑dong. Prosecutors, led by special prosecutor Kwon Chang‑young, had accused Son of falsifying audit reports to conceal irregularities such as the use of non‑qualified contractors and the misrepresentation of contract scopes. With the warrant dismissed, the prosecution is expected to consider refiling the request as the broader investigation into alleged favoritism and illegal budget use continues.