Seoul: The special counsel investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid has denied his request to appear for questioning privately. This decision was announced on Thursday, further complicating the legal proceedings involving the former president.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Park Ji-young, who serves as a deputy to Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk, informed reporters that Yoon's legal team had requested permission for him to enter the team's office through the underground parking facilities on Saturday. Park emphasized that no precedent existed for former presidents, such as Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Lee Myung-bak, Park Geun-hye, and Roh Moo-hyun, to use underground parking for such appearances. Consequently, Yoon's request to alter the standard entry method was denied.
In reaction to this decision, Yoon's lawyers submitted a written opinion, stating that Yoon would not be able to appear for questioning unless the request for underground parking access was granted. Park interpreted this stance as a de facto refusal to participate in the questioning by appearance.
The deputy special counsel hinted at the possibility of reapplying for a detention warrant for Yoon, suggesting that under such circumstances, steps outlined in the Criminal Procedure Code might be considered. Earlier, Yoon's lawyers had expressed his desire for a private appearance at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office on Saturday, an hour later than the special counsel's original request.
Yoon's legal team criticized the open summoning as a political act rather than an investigative process, accusing the special counsel's office of failing to consult regarding the time and location of the questioning or provide details about the prosecutor handling the case. However, Park confirmed that the request for a one-hour delay had been accepted.
The legal team further pointed out that a closed-door appearance had previously been permitted for former Justice Minister Cho Kuk. The investigation seeks to examine Yoon's alleged directive to the Presidential Security Service to obstruct the execution of a detention warrant against him by the state anti-corruption investigation agency and his involvement in deleting phone records related to a martial law imposition.
The recent developments follow the Seoul Central District Court's decision to dismiss the special counsel's request to detain Yoon on Wednesday, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing legal saga.