Former President Yoon Suk-yeol stated during his first questioning by the second comprehensive special counsel team on Friday that he "still considers it lawful" regarding the Dec. 3 martial law declaration.
Deputy Special Counsel Kwon Young-bin disclosed this at a regular briefing held Sunday at the special counsel's office in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, saying, "The former president stated that he ordered foreign countries to be notified about the martial law."
Yoon is suspected of having instructed that messages justifying the martial law be delivered to allies including the United States immediately after declaring the Dec. 3 martial law. The core allegation is that on Dec. 4, 2024, immediately following the martial law declaration, he ordered messages justifying the martial law to be delivered to allies including the United States through then-National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik and then-First Deputy Director Kim Tae-hyo.
"The former president stated to the effect that because the martial law was lawful, he does not acknowledge that ordering foreign countries to be notified was unlawful or an abuse of power," Kwon explained.
Regarding controversy over raised voices exchanged during Yoon's questioning, he explained, "There was no mutual shouting, but there were moments when voices became slightly loud in the process of presenting opinions to each other," adding, "Both the investigation team and the defense team decided not to take issue with it."
Earlier on the day of questioning, conflict had arisen as Yoon's side argued that "a person holding the position of prosecutor should conduct the questioning," opposing the special counsel team's policy of having a police officer conduct the suspect interrogation.
The special counsel team has concluded questioning Yoon as a suspect on abuse of power charges and plans to question him a second time at 10 a.m. on Aug. 13 regarding charges of leading an insurrection under the Military Criminal Act. Former National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik and former National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong will also be questioned as suspects on the 10th and 12th, respectively.
Meanwhile, the special counsel team launched a compulsory investigation Sunday into the Ministry of Planning and Budget (the former Ministry of Economy and Finance) and officials of the budget office at the time, in connection with allegations of misappropriation of funds for relocating the presidential residence. The targets are the residences of four people, including the Ministry of Planning and Budget, the former budget office director of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the former economic and financial secretary of the presidential office.
