Seoul: The chief of staff for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday Yoon should be guaranteed his right to defend himself in a probe over his short-lived martial law declaration.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk made the appeal for Yoon as the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the police were preparing for a second attempt to detain the embattled president. "Please guarantee the right to self-defense, a fundamental right for all citizens of a liberal democratic republic should enjoy," Chung wrote in a statement.
The first attempt to detain Yoon failed due to a tense standoff between investigators and members of the presidential security service, with the impeached president refusing to cooperate with law enforcement. Chung claimed Yoon is treated as if he were "a member of a South American drug cartel," saying the presidential office is prepared to engage in discussions with the CIO and police to arrange investigation procedures without detention.
"We are open to options such as questioning the president at a third-party location or through a visit," he added.