President: “It is difficult to attend the impeachment trial first.”
The deadline for submitting data requested by the Constitutional Court has passed.
The Corruption Investigation Office considers requesting an arrest warrant for Mr.
President Yoon Seok-yeol announced that he would not respond to the second request for attendance by the Mutual Aid Investigation Headquarters, including the High-ranking Public Officials Crime Investigation Office (KOFIC), regarding the December 3 illegal martial law declaration incident. The Corruption Investigation Office plans to review the reasons for President Yoon’s non-attendance and then initiate a mandatory investigation, including requesting an arrest warrant.
Attorney Seok Dong-hyeon of President Yoon’s side met with reporters on the 24th and said, “I am thinking that it will be difficult to appear tomorrow (25th),” and added, “I will explain to you that the conditions are not yet available.” “Since the National Assembly has filed an impeachment motion, the President believes that the impeachment trial process at the Constitutional Court takes priority,” he explained. He reiterated his position the previous day that he would undergo an impeachment trial before an investigation.
When President Yoon did not respond to the first notice of attendance at 10 a.m. on the 18th, the Corruption Investigation Office effectively notified him of 10 a.m. on the 25th as an ultimatum. The Corruption Investigation Office plans to review the reasons for President Yoon’s non-appearance and, if deemed unreasonable, request an arrest warrant.
Meanwhile, it was found that President Yoon did not submit any materials, such as minutes of emergency martial law-related cabinet meetings and martial law declarations, that the Constitutional Court, which is hearing the impeachment trial, requested to submit by the 24th. If President Yoon refuses to submit documents, including the Constitutional Court’s notice of receipt, at least 11 times, criticism that he is deliberately trying to delay the impeachment trial is likely to grow. However, the Constitutional Court decided to proceed with the first argument preparation date on the 27th as scheduled, regardless of whether or not materials were submitted.
Without hiring a lawyer… Pyongyang refuses to appear, saying “impeachment trial comes before investigation”
[탄핵 정국]
Yu rejects ultimatum to appear at the Corruption Investigation Office
“The president’s position is not something that needs to be revealed through an investigation.”
In the legal field, “lawyers are being rejected one after another”… Yong side: “It is possible to start with a small group in the beginning.”
On the 24th, President Yoon Seok-yeol’s side cited the reason for not appearing in the investigation of the suspect suspected of being the leader of the rebellion notified by the High-ranking Public Officials Crime Investigation Office on the 25th to be “an impeachment trial before the investigation.” This is interpreted as an intention to turn public opinion around by proving the legitimacy of the declaration of martial law and the non-establishment of treason in the impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court and then responding to the investigation by the investigative agency. In fact, it has been reported that President Yoon has not yet submitted a notice of appointment of a lawyer to the Corruption Investigation Office. The Corruption Investigation Office plans to complete all investigation preparations, wait for President Yoon’s appearance on the 25th, and then decide whether to conduct a mandatory investigation, including requesting an arrest warrant, if President Yoon does not appear.
● He refused to comply with the ultimatum… “Impeachment trial comes first”
On the 20th, the Corruption Investigation Agency, the National Investigation Headquarters Special Investigation Team of the National Police Agency, and the Ministry of National Defense Investigation Headquarters sent an appearance request to President Yoon by mail and electronic mail, stating, “Please appear at the Corruption Investigation Office building in the Gwacheon Government Complex by 10 a.m. on the 25th.” It has been sent in an official letter, etc. It was effectively an ultimatum, as President Yoon did not comply with the first request to appear on the 18th, which was presented by the Corruption Investigation Office and others.
However, President Yoon did not receive all attendance requests, and on the 24th, he made it official through lawyer Seok Dong-hyun that it would be difficult for him to appear on the 25th. Attorney Seok met with reporters on the 24th and said, “I am thinking that it will be difficult for him to appear tomorrow.” Regarding the reason for his non-attendance, he said, “I will just say that the conditions are not yet in place,” and added, “I believe that the impeachment trial process takes priority as the National Assembly has brought in (impeachment). “The priority is that at least the (impeachment trial) procedure is in order and (President Yoon’s) basic position as the respondent in the impeachment trial must be explained to the judges and the public,” he said. He reiterated the position he expressed the day before that he would undergo an impeachment trial before an investigation.
Regarding the reason why Attorney Seok said that the impeachment trial comes before the investigation, he said, “It is not a matter to explain the president’s position, circumstances, and actions through Q&A with investigators in a closed space,” and “The facts, motivations, and grievances related to the current issue.” “We will be able to prepare the background, etc. in an orderly manner during the constitutional trial process in the form of a battle and defense,” he said. The intention is to respond to the investigative agency’s investigation after President Yoon’s position is revealed to some extent through the impeachment trial. An official from the legal community said, “We must respond passively to the investigative agency’s investigation, and the contents are not disclosed,” and added, “We decided that it would be advantageous to respond first to the impeachment trial, where we can actively argue in a public court.” However, Attorney Seok said, “This does not mean that it will be after the impeachment trial is concluded.”
It is known that President Yoon’s side did not announce whether he would appear before the Corruption Investigation Office on the 25th. Accordingly, the Corruption Investigation Office plans to prepare for the investigation on the 25th as scheduled and wait until the end. Oh Dong-woon, head of the Corruption Investigation Office, appeared before the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly on this day and said, “I am hoping that the President will make time to appear before the Corruption Investigation Office.” Regarding whether to request an arrest warrant if President Yoon fails to appear, Director Oh said, “No policy has been decided,” but it is known that many inside the Corruption Investigation Office are of the opinion that if President Yoon fails to appear, an arrest warrant should be requested and a mandatory investigation be initiated.
● The appointment of lawyers has not yet been announced.
President Yoon’s investigative defense team includes Kim Hong-il, former chairman of the Korea Communications Commission and former head of the Supreme Prosecutor’s Office’s Central Investigation Department, as well as former Daegu High Prosecutors’ Office chief Yoon Gap-geun. However, it was reported that the appointment of a lawyer was not submitted to the Corruption Investigation Office until the 24th, one day before the notice of attendance.
There is talk in the legal world that lawyers are having a hard time forming a team of working lawyers as they are refusing to accept appointments one after another. In response to this, Attorney Seok said, “That’s not true,” and added, “Isn’t this a matter of ‘come’ as if gathering as many volunteers as needed? In the beginning, you can start with only a very small number of elites. “The numbers are not important,” he explained.
President Yoon’s side is considering officially expressing its position on the impeachment trial and investigation as early as the 26th. Attorney Seok said, “The president and the defense team plan to present a summarized position,” and added, “(President Yoon’s) positions will be made known in a timely manner.” Meanwhile, the Corruption Investigation Office and the prosecution agreed to set a total detention period of 20 days for rebellion suspects before indictment. According to the Criminal Procedure Act, police can detain people for up to 10 days, and prosecutors can detain people for up to 20 days, but there has been controversy because the Corruption Investigation Office Act does not specify a detention period.
Reporter Choi Mi-song [email protected]
Reporter Kim Ja-hyeon [email protected]
Reporter Park Jong-min [email protected]
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