The second comprehensive special prosecutor team, led by Kwon Chang-young, has decided to publicly summon former President Yoon Suk Yeol. This will mark the first time Yoon appears before the media while restrained by handcuffs.
On June 1, the special prosecutor's office announced during a briefing at its Gwacheon office that Yoon would appear publicly on June 6, Saturday, to uphold the public's right to know.
On that day, Yoon will arrive in a transport vehicle from the Seoul Detention Center and will be presented in front of reporters while restrained, in accordance with detention center regulations. However, the special prosecutor's office has requested that only one camera reporter and one journalist be allowed due to space constraints.
When asked about the stance of Yoon's legal team regarding the public summons, a special prosecutor official stated, "They did not particularly oppose it." However, they added that the situation could change the day before the appearance, so they are monitoring the response.
Contrary to the special prosecutor's position, Yoon's legal team issued a statement saying, "We are in discussions with the special prosecutor's office, and the public appearance has not been definitively confirmed."
Yoon is accused of instructing the National Intelligence Service and others to convey messages to the international community justifying the declaration of martial law shortly after the December 3 martial law was announced. This will be Yoon's first appearance before the special prosecutor's team. The team is currently investigating former National Intelligence Service chief Jo Tae-yong as a suspect for his involvement in the alleged insurrection.
Yoon is also scheduled to appear before the special prosecutor's team again on June 13 to be questioned as a suspect regarding charges of being a leader of a rebellion under military law. However, the special prosecutor's office has not confirmed whether this will also be a public summons.
Additionally, there are no confirmed plans for public summonses for other individuals under investigation, including First Lady Kim Keon-hee and former Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min.
During the briefing, Special Prosecutor Kim Ji-mi stated that investigations are intensifying, having questioned 15 suspects and 40 witnesses last week. Notably, they have secured internal testimonies indicating that preparations for the martial law declared on December 3, 2024, began as early as November 2023.
Kim revealed, "According to the investigation results of former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Kim Myung-soo, many officials advised against the legality of deploying troops to the National Assembly at the time of the martial law declaration, but their concerns were ignored." As a result, the special prosecutor's office has summoned and is investigating former Fire Chief Heo Seok-gon and former Deputy Fire Chief Lee Young-pal, who are suspected of involvement in the insurrection. They plan to summon former National Intelligence Service Deputy Director Hong Jang-won on June 5 to focus on his actions leading up to the lifting of martial law on December 4.
The investigation into allegations of covering up the case involving Kim's involvement is also expanding. The special prosecutor's office has charged Choi Jae-hoon, the former head of the Anti-Corruption Division at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, with the crime of falsifying official documents related to the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case.
The special prosecutor's office believes that Choi predetermined the conclusion of the investigation that cleared Kim of any wrongdoing in October 2024 and manipulated data during the report revision process. They have completed searches of his mobile phone and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office's information and communication division.
Furthermore, in connection with the allegations of covering up the luxury bag investigation, the special prosecutor's office has seized the mobile phones of three personnel from the Ministry of Justice's personnel department from May 2024 and requested forensic analysis from the National Forensic Service.
The special prosecutor's office has also completed the analysis of seized items related to the allegations of changing the route of the Seoul-Yangpyeong Expressway and plans to investigate the circumstances surrounding the declaration of nullification with the relevant officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport during former Minister Won Hee-ryong's tenure.
Additionally, in relation to the allegations of covering up the Unification Church investigation, the special prosecutor's office will continue to exert pressure by executing search warrants on the mobile phones of four police executives, including former National Police Chief Yoon Hee-keun.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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