Yoon Makes First Appearance Before Special Prosecutor Team Over Alleged Order to Send Anti-Communist, Anti-U.S. Message

[Financial News] Former President Yoon Suk Yeol will appear for the first time before the Second Special Prosecutor Team for Comprehensive Investigation, which is probing cases left over after the three special prosecutors.
The special prosecutor team plans to summon Yoon at around 10 a.m. on the 6th for questioning as a suspect on abuse-of-power charges. This will be the first time Yoon has been questioned by the comprehensive special prosecutor team.
Yoon is accused of ordering the Office of National Security and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send messages to the United States and other friendly nations shortly after declaring martial law on Dec. 3, saying the move was justified.
The message reportedly included the line, "This measure is intended to defend liberal democracy," as well as wording to the effect that "President Yoon Suk Yeol maintains a stance of confronting pro-North Korea leftists and anti-Americanism."
The special prosecutor team believes the Office of National Security, acting on the order, relayed Yoon's message to the National Intelligence Service the day after martial law was declared, along with a request to "explain the background of the martial law declaration to friendly countries." It also believes that, under instructions from former NIS Director Cho Tae-yong, the overseas affairs unit under the First Deputy Director of the NIS translated the message into English and directly briefed a senior CIA official.
The team plans to question Yoon about why he drafted the martial law justification message and how he instructed it to be delivered to friendly countries through the Office of National Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the NIS.
The special prosecutor team had initially planned to question Yoon at the end of last month, but the interview did not take place after Yoon's side refused to appear, citing court schedules and other reasons. The team then pressured him by saying it would consider a forced appearance if he ignored three summonses, and both sides later agreed to a weekend questioning session on this day.
The summons procedure was also changed once. At a briefing on the 1st, the special prosecutor team said it would allow the media to film Yoon's appearance, citing the public's right to know. But after objections from Yoon's side, it switched to a closed-door summons.
Yoon is also scheduled to appear before the special prosecutor team on the 13th for questioning as a suspect on charges of leading a rebellion under military law.
The team is investigating allegations that Yoon conspired with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former Army Chief of Staff Park An-su, and former Army Special Warfare Command commander Kwak Jong-geun to send armed soldiers to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission and incite an uprising.
Rebellion under military law is generally applied to soldiers, but civilians who conspire with them can also be punished. Because the offense carries only the death penalty, a guilty verdict could affect how Yoon's sentence is determined.
Yoon is currently on trial after being indicted and detained on charges of leading an insurrection and obstructing arrest. In February, a lower court sentenced him to life imprisonment on the insurrection charge, and the appeal trial is now under way.

425_sama@fnnews.com Choi Seung-han Reporter