Yoon's Sandwich Made Just Before Arrest, Also Featured During Presidential Campaign

President Yoon's Sandwich-Making for Lawyers Before Arrest
His Past "Tuna Sandwich" Video Draws Renewed Attention

President Yoon Sukyeol making a tuna sandwich during his 2022 presidential campaign. YouTube channel 'Yoon Sukyeol'

It was reported that, on January 15, just before being taken into custody by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on charges of being the ringleader of an insurrection, President Yoon Sukyeol made sandwiches for his lawyers. Following this news, a video of President Yoon making a "tuna sandwich" on his personal YouTube channel in the past has been recirculating online.

In February 2022, when he was a presidential candidate, President Yoon showcased his cooking skills on his personal YouTube channel "Seokyeol's Diner" by preparing a "tuna sandwich set." He explained, "I've been making and eating this tuna sandwich for about 40 years. I think canned tuna first came out about 40 years ago. A lady from my neighborhood once brought home a dish made by mixing tuna and onions with mayonnaise. I tried it with rice, but then put it in bread and found it so delicious that I started making it myself at home from then on."

President Yoon blended drained tuna, quartered onions, mayonnaise, and pepper in a mixer. To achieve a soft texture, he cut the crusts off slices of bread and toasted the bread with a pat of butter in a frying pan. He also shared a tip, saying, "Butter has a lower ignition point than bread, so the bread can burn. If you use the leftover bread crusts, you can prevent the bread from burning." Once one side of the bread was nicely browned, he flipped it over and placed the prepared filling on top to complete the sandwich. At the same time, he served bacon and a fried egg on the side.

President Yoon Sukyeol making a tuna sandwich during his 2022 presidential campaign. YouTube channel 'Yoon Sukyeol'

Previously, in 2021, while running as a presidential contender for the People Power Party, President Yoon also demonstrated his impressive cooking skills on the SBS variety show "Master in the House." At that time, he welcomed the cast to his home in Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, and cooked rolled omelette, bulgogi, and kimchi stew for them. As he poured water into a stainless steel frying pan to preheat it, he confidently remarked, "The water should bead up and roll around like marbles. People who know how to cook don't really use nonstick pans." He then poured the beaten eggs into the pan, rolled them once to shape, and added more egg mixture to create a perfectly formed rolled omelette. The flawless omelette became a big topic online at the time.

In addition, President Yoon offered to make kimchi stew, saying, "I wash the kimchi before making the stew. If there's too much chili powder or seasoning, it gets heavy, so the key is to make it clear. It tastes a bit like kimchi soup, but kimchi soup uses only a little kimchi, while this stew uses a lot." Impressed by his skills, one cast member asked, "Do you cook for your wife often, too?" President Yoon replied, "You have to do this to avoid getting kicked out of the house, don't you?" prompting laughter.

President Yoon Sukyeol, during his time as a presidential candidate for the People Power Party in 2021, appeared on the SBS variety show 'Master in the House' and made a rolled omelette himself. SBS 'Master in the House'

President Yoon, who has said that cooking is his hobby, commented, "Since I started my political career, I haven't had time to cook. My mother was a great cook, and I used to watch her in the kitchen. Even when I was a prosecutor, I would say, 'Let's eat first.' You have to eat properly; those who skipped meals to keep working ended up getting shingles. When I was a prosecutor, my father told me, 'If you quit being a prosecutor, don't become a lawyer-open a restaurant instead.'"

Meanwhile, President Yoon was arrested at 10:33 a.m. on January 15 and was immediately transferred to the CIO's interrogation room, where he was questioned for about 10 hours and 40 minutes, from 11:00 a.m. to 9:40 p.m. He refused to make any statements throughout the investigation, and afterward, he filed for a "detention review," claiming that the CIO's arrest warrant was unlawful.