South Korea Prosecutors File Request to Detain Ex-President Yoon
Yoon, who is facing a criminal trial on insurrection charges over the martial law declaration in December, was arrested in January after resisting authorities trying to take him into custody, but was released after 52 days on technical grounds.
'Detention request is related to allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of justice,' the special prosecutors investigating the declaration said in a statement.
The spokesperson for the special prosecutors declined to elaborate when asked why the detention request was submitted, saying they would explain it in court proceedings to decide on whether it should be granted.
Yoon's lawyers said in a statement that the special prosecutors had not provided credible evidence for the charges they were seeking, and his legal team would 'explain in court that the request for an arrest warrant is unreasonable.'
Yoon has been accused of mobilizing presidential guards to stop authorities from arresting him in January, but the court has previously dismissed the request for an arrest warrant after Yoon had initially refused to appear for questioning.
Yoon was ousted in April by the Constitutional Court, which upheld his impeachment by parliament for a martial law bid that shocked a country that had prided itself on becoming a thriving democracy after overcoming military dictatorship in the 1980s.
The December 3 decree had been lifted after about six hours when lawmakers, who had been forced to scale the walls of the assembly building to make it through a ring of security forces, voted the decree down.
The former president is fighting the charges against him that include masterminding insurrection, which is punishable by death or life in prison. He rejects the allegations.
The special prosecutor was appointed just days after liberal President Lee Jae-myung took office on June 4, following his victory in a snap election called after Yoon's ouster, and leads a team of more than 200 lawyers and investigators.
Yoon attended hours of questioning by prosecutors on Saturday.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
2 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Trump to Put 25% Tariffs on Japan and South Korea, New Import Taxes on 12 Other Nations
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Monday set a 25% tax on goods imported from Japan and South Korea, as well as new tariff rates on a dozen other nations that would go into effect on Aug. 1. Trump provided notice by posting letters on Truth Social that were addressed to the leaders of the various countries. The letters warned them to not retaliate by increasing their own import taxes, or else the Trump administration would further increase tariffs. 'If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge,' Trump wrote in the letters to Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. The letters were not the final word from Trump on tariffs, so much as another episode in a global economic drama in which he has placed himself at the center. His moves have raised fears that economic growth would slow to a trickle, if not make the U.S. and other nations more vulnerable to a recession. But Trump is confident that tariffs are necessary to bring back domestic manufacturing and fund the tax cuts he signed into law last Friday. He mixed his sense of aggression with a willingness to still negotiate, signaling the likelihood that the drama and uncertainty would continue and that few things are ever final with Trump. Imports from Myanmar and Laos would be taxed at 40%, Cambodia and Thailand at 36%, Serbia and Bangladesh at 35%, Indonesia at 32%, South Africa and Bosnia and Herzegovina at 30% and Kazakhstan, Malaysia and Tunisia at 25%. Trump placed the word 'only' before revealing the rate in his letters to the foreign leaders, implying that he was being generous with his tariffs. But the letters generally followed a standard format, so much so that the one to Bosnia and Herzegovina initially addressed its woman leader, Željka Cvijanović, as 'Mr. President.' Trump later posted a corrected letter. Trade talks have yet to deliver several deals White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that Trump was by setting the rates himself creating 'tailor-made trade plans for each and every country on this planet and that's what this administration continues to be focused on.' Following a now well-worn pattern, Trump plans to continue sharing the letters sent to his counterparts on social media and then mail them the documents, a stark departure from the more formal practices of all his predecessors when negotiating trade agreements. The letters are not agreed-to settlements but Trump's own choice on rates, a sign that the closed-door talks with foreign delegations failed to produce satisfactory results for either side. Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute who formerly worked in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, said the tariff hikes on Japan and South Korea were 'unfortunate.' 'Both have been close partners on economic security matters and have a lot to offer the United States on priority matters like shipbuilding, semiconductors, critical minerals and energy cooperation,' Cutler said. Trump still has outstanding differences on trade with the European Union and India, among other trading partners. Tougher talks with China are on a longer time horizon in which imports from that nation are being taxed at 55%. The office of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said in a statement that the tariff rates announced by Trump mischaracterized the trade relationship with the U.S., but it would 'continue with its diplomatic efforts towards a more balanced and mutually beneficial trade relationship with the United States' after having proposed a trade framework on May 20. Higher tariffs prompt market worries, more uncertainty ahead The S&P 500 stock index was down 0.8% in Monday trading, while the interest charged on 10-year U.S. Treasury notes had increased to nearly 4.39%, a figure that could translate into elevated rates for mortgages and auto loans. Trump has declared an economic emergency to unilaterally impose the taxes, suggesting they are remedies for past trade deficits even though many U.S. consumers have come to value autos, electronics and other goods from Japan and South Korea. The constitution grants Congress the power to levy tariffs under normal circumstances, though tariffs can also result from executive branch investigations regarding national security risks. Trump's ability to impose tariffs through an economic emergency is under legal challenge, with the administration appealing a May ruling by the U.S. Court of International Trade that said the president exceeded his authority. It's unclear what he gains strategically against China — another stated reason for the tariffs — by challenging two crucial partners in Asia, Japan and South Korea, that could counter China's economic heft. 'These tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country,' Trump wrote in both letters. Because the new tariff rates go into effect in roughly three weeks, Trump is setting up a period of possibly tempestuous talks among the U.S. and its trade partners to reach new frameworks. 'I don't see a huge escalation or a walk back — it's just more of the same,' said Scott Lincicome, a vice president at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank Trump initially roiled the financial markets by announcing tariff rates on dozens of countries, including 24% on Japan and 25% on South Korea. In order to calm the markets, Trump unveiled a 90-day negotiating period during which goods from most countries were taxed at a baseline 10%. So far, the rates in the letters sent by Trump either match his April 2 tariffs or are generally close to them. The 90-day negotiating period technically ends on Wednesday, even as multiple administration officials suggested the three-week period before implementation is akin to overtime for additional talks that could change the rates. Trump plans to sign an executive order on Monday to delay the official tariff increases until Aug. 1, Leavitt said. Congressionally approved Trade agreements historically have sometimes taken years to negotiate because of the complexity. Administration officials have said Trump is relying on tariff revenues to help offset the tax cuts he signed into law on July 4, a move that could shift a greater share of the federal tax burden onto the middle class and poor as importers would likely pass along much of the cost of the tariffs. Trump has warned major retailers such as Walmart to simply 'eat' the higher costs, instead of increasing prices in ways that could intensify inflation. Josh Lipsky, chair of international economics at The Atlantic Council, said that a three-week delay in imposing the tariffs was unlikely sufficient for meaningful talks to take place. 'I take it as a signal that he is serious about most of these tariffs and it's not all a negotiating posture,' Lipsky said. Trade gaps persist, more tariff hikes are possible Trump's team promised 90 deals in 90 days, but his negotiations so far have produced only two trade frameworks. His outline of a deal with Vietnam was clearly designed to box out China from routing its America-bound goods through that country, by doubling the 20% tariff charged on Vietnamese imports on anything traded transnationally. The quotas in the signed United Kingdom framework would spare that nation from the higher tariff rates being charged on steel, aluminum and autos, though British goods would generally face a 10% tariff. The United States ran a $69.4 billion trade imbalance in goods with Japan in 2024 and a $66 billion imbalance with South Korea, according to the Census Bureau. The trade deficits are the differences between what the U.S. exports to a country relative to what it imports. According to Trump's letters, autos would be tariffed separately at the standard 25% worldwide, while steel and aluminum imports would be taxed on 50%. This is not the first time that Trump has tangled with Japan and South Korea on trade — and the new tariffs suggest his past deals made during his first term failed to deliver on his administration's own hype. In 2018, during Trump's first term, his administration celebrated a revamped trade agreement with South Korea as a major win. And in 2019, Trump signed a limited agreement with Japan on agricultural products and digital trade that at the time he called a 'huge victory for America's farmers, ranchers and growers.' Trump has also said on social media that countries aligned with the policy goals of BRICS, an organization composed of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, would face additional tariffs of 10%.
The Mainichi
3 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Trump says 25% tariffs to be slapped on Japan, S. Korea on Aug. 1
WASHINGTON (Kyodo) -- The United States will impose 25 percent tariffs on imports from Japan and South Korea starting Aug. 1, President Donald Trump said Monday, citing trade imbalances and further ramping up pressure on the key U.S. allies to make compromises to get deals done. In nearly identical letters addressed to the leaders of Japan and South Korea, which Trump posted in full on his Truth Social platform, he told each that trade relations with his country have been "far from Reciprocal." "Please understand that the 25% number is far less than what is needed to eliminate the Trade Deficit disparity we have with your Country," Trump wrote to both Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. Trump also warned each country that any increases to their tariffs on U.S. goods will be met with an equivalent tariff hike by his administration, above and beyond the 25 percent rate. At the same time, Trump said he may consider making "an adjustment" if the countries remove what he claimed to be trade barriers. "These Tariffs may be modified, upward or downward, depending on our relationship with your Country," he said. Under Trump's so-called reciprocal "Liberation Day" tariffs, the administration has also levied a baseline, or universal, duty of 10 percent covering imports from almost all countries in the world. Until now, Japan was facing an additional tariff of 14 percent, for a total rate of 24 percent. South Korea's was 25 percent. Trump said the updated rates are completely separate from the higher industrial-sector tariffs that have already taken effect, such as those targeting all imports of cars, auto parts and steel. The signed letters were posted two days before a 90-day pause on country-specific tariffs was due to expire and despite weeks of bilateral negotiations between the administration and each of the Asian allies. Both Japan and South Korea have been dealt a severe economic blow by Trump's hike in April of a tariff on imported passenger vehicles to 27.5 percent from 2.5 percent. Meanwhile, Trump has upped the pressure especially on Japan in recent weeks, venting frustration that it does not import a significant amount of American cars or rice. With the U.S. leader showing no signs of granting Tokyo's persistent requests to remove the auto and other tariffs, the new 25 percent rate has created another headache for Japanese officials trying to break the deadlock in negotiations with Washington. Trump later posted on social media similar trade letters to the leaders of Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Serbia, South Africa, Thailand and Tunisia, notifying them of tariff rates from 25 percent to 40 percent. Trump unveiled sweeping country-specific tariffs on April 2, targeting about 60 countries with which the United States runs trade deficits, before pausing them for 90 days to have time for talks mainly with its major trading partners. On Monday, the White House said the pause will be extended to Aug. 1, meaning that the time for dealmaking could continue until then. Although top U.S. trade officials had said they could clinch 90 trade deals in 90 days, only two agreements -- with Britain and Vietnam -- have been sealed so far. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday in a CNBC interview that the administration is set to announce "several" trade deals over the next 48 hours, without naming any countries or offering other details.
Japan Today
3 hours ago
- Japan Today
Ten dead and dozens injured in Kenya anti-government protests
A demonstrator lies on the road, watching clashes with police as a fire burns, at the "Saba Saba People's March" anti-government protest in Nairobi, Kenya July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY By Humphrey Malalo Kenyan police fired to disperse demonstrators in Nairobi marking the 35th anniversary of pro-democracy rallies on Monday, as Kenya's rights watchdog reported 10 dead and 29 injured nationwide in the latest anti-government protests to end in bloodshed. The death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody last month has given the protests fresh impetus, fuelling anger against the authorities and bringing hundreds onto the streets. A Reuters reporter saw police fire at advancing protesters in the Nairobi suburb of Kangemi, with one man later lying motionless on the road with a bleeding wound. The suburb's Eagle Nursing Home said six people had been admitted with injuries, and that two had died from gunshot wounds. A source at Kenyatta National Hospital said it was treating 24 injured people, but did not elaborate on their injuries. The government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said it had documented 10 dead and 29 injured. It did not provide a breakdown of the figures, recorded across 17 of Kenya's 47 counties. Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Law enforcers have been deploying heavily in Nairobi since youth-led protests in June 2024 that initially focused on tax hikes but expanded to cover issues such as corruption, police brutality and unexplained disappearances of government critics. Police used tear gas and water cannon on Monday to disperse hundreds of demonstrators advancing along a road connecting Kangemi to downtown Nairobi. Hours later, protesters and police scuffled, and a Reuters reporter saw police opening fire as the crowd charged at them. The Commission on Human Rights said it saw "numerous hooded officers, not in uniform, travelling in unmarked vehicles". A court order requires police to be easily identifiable following allegations that plain clothes police fired live rounds at demonstrators last year. The Commission also said criminal gangs wielding whips and machetes appeared to be operating alongside police in Nairobi and the Rift Valley town of Eldoret. Local media said there had also been demonstrations in the towns of Nyeri, Embu and the lakeside city of Nakuru, where half a dozen police on horseback dispersed stone-throwing protesters. Police had blocked major roads leading into Nairobi and restricted traffic within the city, leaving streets deserted but for the demonstrators, who arrived on foot. Most schools and at least one shopping mall were shut in anticipation of trouble. Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen, who last month described the protests as "terrorism disguised as dissent", said on Sunday that the government was committed to protecting life and property. "Our security agencies are on high alert to deal decisively with criminals and other elements of ill intent who may seek to infiltrate peaceful processions to cause havoc, mayhem, or destruction of property," he said. Activists rally every July 7 to mark the day in 1990 when opponents of then-president Daniel Arap Moi launched a bid to turn Kenya into a multi-party democracy. The protest is called "Saba Saba" - "Seven Seven" in Kiswahili - because of the date. Those protests paved the way two years later for the first multi-party elections in more than two decades. The death of 31-year-old Ojwang, a blogger and teacher, has focused public anger, sparking a string of demonstrations last month. On June 25, according to the Commission, 19 people lost their lives nationwide in demonstrations to protest against Ojwang's death and mark the first anniversary of rallies that culminated in the storming of parliament. Six people including three police officers have been charged with murder over Ojwang's death. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
