Yoon Suk Yeol Appears Before Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Team for the First Time... Full-Scale Investigation into Alleged Interference Begins

[Financial News] On the 11th, former President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared as a suspect before the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Team, led by Lee Myeong-hyeon.
At approximately 9:47 a.m., Yoon arrived at the Special Prosecutor's Office in Seocho-dong, Seoul, entering through the underground parking lot in a transport vehicle.
While the Special Prosecutor Team generally requires main suspects to enter through the first-floor lobby, Yoon was permitted to enter via the underground entrance, apparently as a safety measure. In fact, dozens of Yoon’s supporters gathered near the office, prompting police to restrict access to the area.
Yoon began his first questioning as a suspect at 10 a.m. He had previously ignored two summons on May 23 and June 8, but reportedly decided to appear after the possibility of an arrest warrant was raised if he failed to attend a third time.
The Special Prosecutor Team plans to focus its investigation on allegations of 'interference in the investigation' by Yoon. He has been identified as the so-called 'VIP outrage' figure and is accused of abusing his authority by pressuring for the removal of former Marine Corps 1st Division Commander Im Seong-geun from the list of suspects.
The investigation will also probe why Yoon became enraged during the presidential office’s foreign affairs and security meeting on July 31, 2023, the content of his subsequent phone call with former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, and whether he ordered then-Marine Corps investigative chief Colonel Park Jung-hoon to be investigated for insubordination.
Additionally, the probe will cover allegations that Yoon abused his authority and aided a suspect’s escape by appointing Lee Jong-sup, who became a target of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) due to the interference allegations, as Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Australia to facilitate his departure from the country.
Given the broad scope of the investigation, the Special Prosecutor Team is leaving open the possibility of summoning Yoon again. Last month, on May 15, Yoon appeared before the Special Prosecutor Team for Insurrection and Treason but reportedly refused to answer most questions and maintained an uncooperative stance.
scottchoi15@fnnews.com Choi Eun-sol Reporter