Yoon Seok-yeol "People have cut off contact with me and my wife"... Lamenting 'Lawyer Recruitment Difficulties'

[Financial News] Former President Yoon Seok-yeol, who was re-arrested four months after the cancellation of his detention last March, reportedly lamented the difficulty in recruiting lawyers for himself and Mrs. Kim Geon-hee during the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant review).

According to JTBC on the 11th, former President Yoon made a statement for about 20 minutes as his final argument during the pre-arrest suspect interrogation the previous day.

At this place, former President Yoon reportedly lamented to the court, saying, "People are now cutting off contact with me," and "It's hard to find a lawyer."

In particular, he mentioned "even my wife," indicating that Mrs. Kim Geon-hee is also having difficulty finding a lawyer, making it challenging to exercise her defense rights against the all-out investigation.

Former President Yoon also expressed dissatisfaction with the special prosecutor's request for an arrest warrant, saying, "I understand it's a political investigation, but isn't this too much?"

During the examination that day, the special prosecutor's side emphasized the concern of evidence destruction, stating, "Former President Yoon, who holds the status of a former president, can exert power over witnesses and references to coax their testimonies." In response, former President Yoon reportedly rebutted, saying, "I'm completely isolated," and "On the contrary, everyone is making unfavorable statements, so what are you talking about? I have to fight alone."

Former President Yoon also reiterated at the end of his final statement, "This is not to regress democracy but a warning martial law against the legislative tyranny of the opposition party."

However, the court did not accept former President Yoon's claim. Nam Se-jin, the chief judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Central District Court, issued an arrest warrant for former President Yoon at 2:15 a.m. the previous day, citing "concerns of evidence destruction," and former President Yoon was re-detained at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang City, Gyeonggi Province, about four months after being released due to detention cancellation.

Former President Yoon entered a solitary cell of about 2 pyeong in the general detention ward after completing the admission procedure following a meeting with his lawyer and dinner on the afternoon of the 10th. After receiving his detention number, he underwent a physical examination to check his height and weight, changed into a khaki-colored pre-trial detainee uniform, and went through the procedure of taking a 'mugshot.'

Meanwhile, the solitary cell where former President Yoon is detained is even smaller than the 3-pyeong detention cells where former presidents were held. This appears to be an unavoidable measure due to the serious overcrowding issue in detention centers. Former President Park Geun-hye stayed in a solitary cell of about 3.04 pyeong, and former President Lee Myung-bak was held in a 3.95 pyeong solitary cell.

The general detention ward room where former President Yoon is detained is provided with only a fan without air conditioning. For fire prevention, it operates for 50 minutes and then turns off for 10 minutes. Inside the room, there is a storage shelf, TV, desk-cum-dining table, utensils, and a toilet. The TV can view recorded broadcasts and some live broadcasts of four channels: KBS1, SBS, MBC, and EBS1. There is no separate bed, and a blanket is provided.

hsg@fnnews.com Han Seung-gon Reporter