"Who is Kim Keon Hee?" Yoon Reacts Strongly During Trial... Denies Order to Delete Encrypted Phone Server

[Financial News] Former President Yoon Suk Yeol engaged in a tense exchange with the Special Prosecutor Team (led by Cho Eun-seok) that mentioned First Lady Kim Keon Hee in the special investigation into insurrection and foreign intervention.
On the 31st, Yoon appeared at the fifth hearing on charges including obstruction of official duties, presided over by Judge Baek Daehyeon at the Seoul Central District Court.
During the trial, Yoon pointed out to the prosecutor from the Special Prosecutor Team who mentioned Kim Keon Hee. When the prosecutor, while questioning former PSS Deputy Chief Kim Seong-hun, presented an opinion directly linking Kim Keon Hee to the case, Yoon objected, saying, "Even if I have left office, how can you just say 'Kim Keon Hee'? You should at least add 'First Lady' after her name."
The court intervened to settle the situation. The bench acknowledged that the Telegram messages between Kim Keon Hee and Yoon were relevant to the case and allowed the questioning to proceed.
Continuing from the previous day, Yoon gave direct testimony related to the case. The Special Prosecutor Team asserted that the Presidential Security Service (PSS) attempted to delete the encrypted phone server under Yoon's orders.
In response, Yoon argued, "When I asked how the encrypted phone call records are managed, I was told that they are all deleted and handed over to the next administration when there is a change in government. It's not as if they are deleted in two days; in fact, some call records remained. Not only after martial law, but as far as I know, records from before that also remained." He added, "In places like the presidential office, meeting rooms, or official residences, records are not deleted after a short period but are kept for a considerable time for security reasons. Therefore, no such deletion of encrypted phone records took place."
Yoon also refuted the allegation that the Presidential Security Service (PSS) obstructed the execution of an arrest warrant by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO). He maintained that he had never seen a search and seizure warrant executed at the Presidential Residence, which is a military protected zone.
He stated, "During my 26 years as a prosecutor, I have received countless search and seizure warrants. Typically, you go to the main gate, present the warrant, and wait for the necessary items to be handed over. As former Deputy Chief Kim Seong-hun also said, it is unprecedented in our country for an investigative agency to simply enter the area where the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Korea resides and conduct a search and seizure."

theknight@fnnews.com Jung Kyung-soo Reporter