Special Prosecutor's 'Speed Battle' on Trusted Aides' Attitude Change... Yoon: 'In a Helpless Situation'

[Financial News]  Aides who had been protecting former President Yoon Seok-yeol since the imposition of martial law are now reversing their statements following the special prosecutor team's full-scale investigation. They are confessing that the illegal and unlawful actions during martial law and the prevention of former President Yoon's arrest were carried out under his orders. This has accelerated the special prosecutor team's investigation surrounding former President Yoon.
According to the legal community on the 13th, Kim Seong-hoon, a former deputy chief of the Presidential Security Service known for his 'hardline loyalty', recently testified in the investigation by the special prosecutor team for rebellion and foreign affairs (led by special prosecutor Jo Eun-seok) that he received orders from former President Yoon, such as "The police lack expertise, and the security officers shoot much better", "Show them that you have guns". This contrasts with his previous stance of denying charges related to preventing former President Yoon's arrest.
The arrest warrant for former President Yoon includes content where he ordered the deletion of secure phone records, saying "It should not be easy to see if it's a secure phone. Take action", in three calls to former Deputy Chief Kim. Given that it was a conversation between the two, it is presumed that former Deputy Chief Kim mentioned it to the special prosecutor team.
Former Deputy Chief Kim, a representative figure of the 'hardline loyalty' within the Security Service, had consistently refused to provide unfavorable testimony about former President Yoon in police and prosecution investigations. He had stated, "The highest honor for a security officer is to sacrifice one's life for the president's safety."
The special prosecutor team argued in the arrest warrant that "Former Deputy Chief Kim initially testified in a favorable direction for the suspect (former President Yoon) during the early police investigation with the suspect's lawyers present, but only began to testify about the criminal acts after the suspect's lawyers were no longer present", and "There is a high possibility that the suspect will attempt to coerce or pressure former Deputy Chief Kim into retracting his testimony."
Kim Tae-hyo, a former first deputy director of the National Security Office and a key aide in the Yoon Seok-yeol presidential office who led foreign and security policies, recently testified for the first time in the investigation by the special prosecutor team for the Chae Sang-byeong case (led by special prosecutor Lee Myung-hyun) that he directly witnessed the 'VIP Rage Theory'.
The 'VIP Rage Theory' alleges that former President Yoon was 'furious' after receiving a report on the investigation results of the Chae Sang-byeong case during a presidential office meeting on July 31, 2023, at 11 a.m., and reprimanded then-Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop over the phone, delaying the transfer to the police and altering the investigation results.
Until then, there had only been hearsay testimony from someone who heard about it, but former Deputy Chief Kim, who attended the meeting at the time, testified to the special prosecutor team that he directly witnessed it.
Former Deputy Chief Kim's testimony also differs from his previous stance. He had refuted in the National Assembly's Steering Committee last July, saying, "There was no report related to the Chae Sang-byeong case, and former President Yoon never got furious."
Former Deputy Chief Kim is evaluated as a key aide and confidant who oversaw foreign and security policies closely with former President Yoon since his inauguration.  
Former President Yoon expressed his feelings about this change in situation, saying, "I am in a helpless situation. Cabinet members have each found their own way to survive and left, and I am having difficulty finding a lawyer," during his final statement in the arrest warrant review.
Meanwhile, the special prosecutor team for rebellion is contemplating whether to use coercive measures as former President Yoon, detained in a detention center, continues to refuse to appear for questioning. It is reported that former President Yoon refused the investigation scheduled for 2 p.m. on the 14th, following his re-arrest in the early morning of the 10th and the investigation on the 11th. Former President Yoon is complaining of deteriorating health due to diabetes and psychological shock.
Special Prosecutor Park Ji-young stated in a briefing on the 12th, "If non-appearance is deemed reasonable, it may be acceptable, but if not, it will proceed according to the procedures of the Criminal Procedure Act." However, even if former President Yoon appears before the special prosecutor team, if he exercises his right to refuse to testify, the special prosecutor team has no legal means to respond.




kyu0705@fnnews.com Kim Dong-kyu Reporter