The special prosecutor team led by Cho Eunseok, which is investigating insurrection and foreign aggression cases related to the 12·3 Martial Law, is accelerating its investigation into former President Yoon Seokyeol's alleged violations of foreign aggression laws, following his addition to the list of special investigation targets.
Former President Yoon Seokyeol is attending the 9th trial session of the case involving charges of bossism and abuse of authority obstructing the exercise of rights, held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 3rd.
At a briefing on the 4th, Special Prosecutor Park Jiyoung stated that a significant number of military officials have been questioned regarding former President Yoon's alleged foreign aggression offenses. Park also explained that, due to the involvement of classified matters, the team is either considering or has already implemented direct visits to the military for questioning, instead of summoning individuals.
The special prosecutor team has been investigating suspicions that, in October of last year, former President Yoon and former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun attempted to provoke an armed conflict or heighten tensions between North and South Korea by sending drones to North Korea, in order to justify the declaration of martial law.
On the 1st, the special prosecutor summoned a researcher from the Agency for Defense Development's Aviation Technology Research Institute as a reference witness. The Agency for Defense Development supplies drones to the South Korean military.
The special prosecutor plans to pursue the facts of the foreign aggression allegations during the second in-person questioning of former President Yoon, scheduled for the 5th.
It is also reported that the special prosecutor has obtained testimony indicating that, in addition to former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo and former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun, former President Yoon personally signed the martial law proclamation, which was drafted after the fact to meet the legal requirements for martial law.
Regarding the allegations that former President Yoon obstructed his own arrest, the special prosecutor plans to have Park Changhwan, Chief Superintendent of the Major Crimes Investigation Division at the National Police Agency, conduct the questioning, as was done during the first investigation.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that, in connection with suspicions that a large amount of cash was discovered during a police special investigation team's search and seizure of former Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sangmin in February, the special prosecutor has summoned and questioned investigators who participated in the search. Lee's side has strongly denied the allegations of cash storage, calling them "completely groundless."
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