Former President Yoon to face Special counsel

Seoul

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will appear at the office of Special Prosecutor Cho Eun-suk on Saturday (today) for questioning over his alleged role in the controversial December 3 martial law declaration.

Yoon's lawyers confirmed on Friday that he will comply with the special counsel’s request, but they have asked for a private appearance around 10 a.m., one hour later than the scheduled time. They also requested that Yoon be allowed to enter through the building’s underground parking lot to avoid public attention. However, the special counsel’s office rejected this request, saying it could be seen as special treatment.

Despite the disagreement over the entrance and timing, Yoon’s legal team said, “There is no change in Yoon’s decision to appear. We’ll discuss matters again on-site.”

The special counsel had initially summoned Yoon as a suspect, asking him to appear publicly at 9 a.m. at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office. This follows a court decision that denied an earlier request for Yoon’s detention.

The investigation centers on Yoon’s alleged order to the Presidential Security Service to block a detention warrant and delete his phone records with military commanders around the time of the martial law imposition.

Yoon’s lawyers argued that making the appearance public is politically motivated and noted that former Justice Minister Cho Kuk was previously granted a private summons under similar circumstances.

The case has drawn national attention, as it involves serious charges including obstruction of justice and misuse of presidential powers during Yoon’s time in office.