Will Former South Korean President Yoon Appear at the Special Prosecutor's Office?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Yoon Suk Yeol is scheduled for questioning on December 3 martial law allegations.
- His legal team is advocating for a private appearance.
- The Seoul Central District Court denied a request to detain him.
- Political implications are significant for Yoon and South Korea.
- Concerns over public scrutiny and political motivations are raised by his lawyers.
Seoul, June 27 (NationPress) The legal team representing former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced on Friday that he is set to visit the office of Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk on Saturday for interrogation concerning allegations tied to the martial law imposed on December 3.
This week, Cho's office requested Yoon to present himself publicly at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul at 9 a.m. on Saturday for questioning, following a court's dismissal of a detention warrant against him.
Yoon's lawyers have urged that his visit not be publicized and that it be postponed by an hour to approximately 10 a.m.
They specifically requested that Yoon enter through the underground parking area. However, Cho's office declined this request, suggesting it could imply preferential treatment, as reported by the Yonhap news agency.
"Regardless of any disagreement over the appearance protocol, Yoon remains committed to appearing at the special counsel's office tomorrow," stated one of his attorneys. "We will address the matter on-site tomorrow."
On June 26, Yoon Suk Yeol's legal representatives expressed his desire to appear privately at Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk’s office for questioning regarding the December 3 martial law allegations.
They remarked, "Public and humiliating summonses are not investigations but political maneuvers," emphasizing that there were no prior discussions regarding the timing and location of the questioning or the prosecutor assigned to the case.
Moreover, they pointed out that a closed-door appearance was previously permitted for former Justice Minister Cho Kuk.
Cho's team is probing Yoon over accusations of instructing the Presidential Security Service to obstruct a detention warrant execution by the state anti-corruption inquiry agency in early January and to erase his phone records with military leaders concerning his December 3 martial law implementation.
The Seoul Central District Court has dismissed the special counsel's bid to detain Yoon.