SEOUL, South Korea – The special prosecution team investigating the December 3rd martial law declaration incident concluded its initial in-person interrogation of former President Yoon Suk-yeol on June 28th, at approximately 9:50 PM. This marked the end of an almost 11-hour and 35-minute process that began at 10:14 AM on the same day. However, after accounting for announced breaks and time during which the former president reportedly refused to cooperate, the actual duration of the interrogation was a mere 4 hours and 40 minutes.
Following the questioning, Yoon spent over three hours reviewing the interrogation transcripts before finally departing around 1:00 AM on June 29th. Throughout this period, he remained silent, declining to answer questions from the press. The special prosecution team indicated that the day's proceedings were significantly hampered by persistent disagreements and delays between the prosecution and Yoon's legal team, preventing a thorough completion of the necessary investigation. Consequently, a re-summons has been issued. Special Prosecutor Park Ji-young confirmed shortly after Yoon's departure, "We have formally delivered a written notice for him to reappear at 9:00 AM on the 30th."
Mid-Day Standoff: From Police to Prosecutor-Led Interrogation
The special prosecution began its questioning of Yoon at 10:14 AM, focusing on allegations that he instructed the Presidential Security Service in January of this year to obstruct the execution of arrest warrants issued by the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO). The initial interrogation was conducted by Superintendent Park Chang-hwan, head of the Serious Crime Investigation Division at the National Police Agency, who is on secondment to the special prosecution.
A planned resumption of the interrogation at 1:30 PM was stalled when Yoon's legal team objected, stating, "Superintendent Park has been accused of directing an unlawful arrest." The special prosecution immediately countered, asking, "Does a person under investigation get to choose who questions them?" They further warned, "We will respond resolutely to attempts to obstruct the investigation with false information."
After a contentious three-hour standoff, both sides reached a compromise. The special prosecution agreed to halt the questioning related to the alleged obstruction of arrest warrant execution and transition to an interrogation led by senior prosecutors, to which Yoon's side assented. From 4:45 PM to 7:00 PM, Yoon was questioned by Senior Prosecutors Kim Jeong-guk and Jo Jae-cheol regarding the National Security Council's decision-making process before and after the martial law declaration, as well as allegations of foreign exchange violations. With Yoon's consent, the late-night questioning resumed at 8:25 PM after a dinner break. Approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes later, at 9:50 PM, the special prosecution announced that Yoon had concluded his questioning and was reviewing the transcripts.
"Mr. President": No Pre-Interrogation Tea, Video Recording Refused
This marked the first time Yoon, a former Prosecutor General, was interrogated at a prosecution office, his erstwhile "home turf." Initially, Yoon's team requested a non-public appearance via an underground parking garage. However, the special prosecution remained firm on a public appearance, threatening to consider it a refusal to cooperate if he did not comply. Barricades were even set up to block parking garage access, pre-empting any attempts by Yoon's vehicle to enter there. Consequently, Yoon's car pulled directly up to the photo line at the main entrance of the High Prosecutors' Office. He exited the vehicle, entered the building without answering any questions from reporters.
Yoon's interrogation took place in an interrogation room on the sixth floor of the High Prosecutors' Office, described as being similar in structure to a standard prosecutor's office. In a departure from typical protocol for former presidents, there was no customary "tea time" between the special prosecutor and Yoon. While the interrogation room was equipped with video recording equipment, Yoon declined to give his consent, so no video recording of the process took place. Despite the formal setting, the special prosecution reportedly addressed Yoon as "Mr. President" out of courtesy, though the official transcript will record him as "suspect." Both his lunch and dinner were meals procured by the Presidential Security Service from an external restaurant.
Special Prosecutor vs. Yoon's Team: A Day of Tensions
From the very outset of the interrogation, the special prosecution and Yoon's legal team engaged in a war of nerves. Upon his arrival at the special prosecution's office, Yoon's team released a statement sharply criticizing the special prosecution's insistence on a public appearance. They questioned, "Is the special prosecutor, who is running rampant in violation of laws and due process, above the law?" and asserted, "There is absolutely no respect for the human rights of the suspect." This marked Yoon's first public appearance at a photo line in response to a summons from an investigative agency. They further cited presidential decrees, stating, "When issuing a summons, it is stipulated that the date and location of the investigation must be discussed with the suspect, but the special prosecutor has violated all these regulations."
The conflict intensified during the refusal to be questioned by Superintendent Park. Special Prosecutor Park Ji-young rebuked Yoon's legal team, stating, "Superintendent Park was not even present at the scene during the first arrest warrant execution," and criticized their actions as "crossing the line by obstructing the investigation with false information." The special prosecution also announced it would consider notifying the Korean Bar Association for disciplinary action against Yoon's legal team for obstructing the investigation. Notably, Yoon refused to sign the interrogation transcript from the morning session, which was led by Superintendent Park. If a suspect does not sign the transcript after an interrogation, it cannot be used as evidence in future trials. However, Special Prosecutor Park Ji-young commented, "The investigation itself is meaningful, and some parts will be utilized."
Song Jin-ho, a lawyer for Yoon's team, explained the cause of the investigative delays to reporters, stating, "We (Yoon's side) view the official execution (of Yoon's arrest) as illegal, while the police view the Presidential Security Service's response at the time as illegal, creating a confrontation." He added, "We expressed the opinion that it is inappropriate for the police, who are a party to this conflict of interest, to participate in the investigation, and the investigation was halted to coordinate this." Song concluded by saying that Yoon had "answered sincerely and cooperated diligently with the investigation" and would "comply with legitimate additional summonses."
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