"Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol, Did He Allow Investigation Evasion?"... Opposition Criticizes President Yoon's Response to Investigation

President Yoon Avoids Investigation Citing Health Reasons
Democratic Party: "Yesterday he delayed for health, today he claims he explained enough"

The Democratic Party of Korea harshly criticized President Yoon Seok-yeol's evasion of investigation after his arrest, stating, "If he were Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol, he would never have tolerated a suspect's malicious evasion of investigation."

Lee Geon-tae, a spokesperson for the Democratic Party and a former prosecutor, said in a statement on the 16th, "Yoon Seok-yeol was abruptly arrested yesterday by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) on charges of leading a rebellion, but he is refusing to cooperate with the CIO's investigation," calling it a "malicious evasion of investigation." Lee pointed out, "Yesterday, he requested a delay in the investigation citing health reasons, and today he claimed that he had sufficiently explained his position yesterday and therefore had nothing more to be investigated about," adding, "He continuously refused to testify yesterday and did not even sign the interrogation record after the investigation ended, so how can he say he sufficiently explained his position?"

On the 16th, ahead of President Yoon Seok-yeol's second day of investigation on charges of leading an insurrection, the lights were on early in the morning at the Gwacheon Corruption Investigation Office building. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju

Lee asked, "Did Prosecutor Yoon Seok-yeol ever tolerate a suspect's malicious evasion of investigation in the past?" and answered, "He would never have tolerated such behavior." He continued, "If it was something he could not take responsibility for, he should not have done it," criticizing, "Yoon Seok-yeol committed an illegal emergency martial law that he cannot even take responsibility for."

He said, "It is now his duty to the people to fully clarify his position before investigative agencies and in court," and questioned, "He himself said he would respond to the investigation confidently. Was even that a lie?"

Lee stated, "The way for Yoon Seok-yeol to take legal and political responsibility is to sincerely participate in the CIO investigation as soon as possible," and warned sternly, "A sincere investigation by suspect Yoon Seok-yeol will be the first step in apologizing to the public."

Earlier, Shin Jeong-ah, who was the center of public attention in 2007 due to the Shin Jeong-ah scandal, recalled President Yoon's time as a prosecutor in her autobiographical essay. She remembered, "When the answers he wanted did not come out, he flushed red in the face, shouted, sneered, and pointed fingers," and added, "I was so scared that I urinated while sitting in the chair."