Yoon Seok-yeol's Side: "No Efficiency in 48-Hour Investigation Under Arrest Warrant... Intention to Show a Restrained President" (Comprehensive)

Yoon's Side "Second Arrest Warrant Authority Dispute and Injunction Application"
"48 Hours for Arrest Warrant, No Investigation Efficiency, Refusal"

[Image source = Office of the President] Photo by Yonhap News

Yoon Gap-geun, the lawyer representing President Yoon Seok-yeol, stated at an afternoon foreign press briefing held on the 9th at lawyer Seok Dong-hyun's office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, that they will file a constitutional complaint and a provisional injunction to suspend the effect simultaneously with the issuance of the second arrest warrant. This is intended to reapply after the first arrest warrant, which was requested but invalidated due to the expiration of the warrant's validity period. President Yoon's side reiterated that they still cannot comply with the issuance of the arrest warrant.

Lawyer Yoon Gap-geun said, "Detaining and arresting a sitting president for 48 hours, such a short investigation period, is insufficient even from the perspective of investigative efficiency," and added, "The arrest procedure is not truly necessary for the investigation." He argued that excluding sleep and travel time, the actual time to investigate President Yoon while under arrest is short, which does not meet the purpose of the investigation and is likely to only serve to embarrass the president. Lawyer Seok Dong-hyun, who attended the briefing, also emphasized, "(Executing the arrest) lacks investigative efficiency itself and is nothing more than showing the president, who is restrained with handcuffs or other physical shackles, to the public."

President Yoon's side also explained that they have not been able to submit the power of attorney due to a failure to coordinate with the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Office (Gong-su-cheo). The day before, lawyer Yoon visited the Government Complex Gwacheon, where Gong-su-cheo's office is located, to submit the power of attorney but failed to receive a visitor pass. Lawyer Yoon said, "It is a minor issue, so I will not specify details, but I went all the way to Gwacheon to submit the power of attorney, but there was no response," and added, "I called three Gong-su-cheo officials, but they did not answer, so I returned; that is the fact."

They also reiterated that if Gong-su-cheo properly requests and obtains a pre-arrest warrant from the Seoul Central District Court instead of the Seoul Western District Court, they will cooperate with the execution. Lawyer Yoon said, "We cannot comply with illegal investigations or procedures, but as the president, we cannot continue to prolong this regrettable situation." He added, "The arrest warrant on the 20th is a serious and difficult matter concerning personal detention, so the level of judgment is strict and high," and said, "If the judicial process proceeds at the Central District Court, which has jurisdiction over Gong-su-cheo, and results in detention or indictment, we will comply."