Yoon's Side: "Removed Prison Uniform Due to Heat" vs. Special Prosecutor: "That's Not How It Appeared" ? Dispute Over the Truth

Special Prosecutor: "We Will Seek Reissuance of Arrest Warrant If It Expires"
"Yoon Also Enforced Compulsory Appearance of Choi Soonsil During Park Geunhye Special Probe"
Lee Eunggeun and Lee Iljun Indicted in 'Sambu Construction Stock Manipulation' Case

On August 1, the special prosecutor's team investigating Kim Keonhee stated regarding the execution of the arrest warrant for former President Yoon Sukyeol, "He strongly resisted while lying down, and it did not appear that he removed his prison uniform briefly because of the heat." This directly refuted the claim from Yoon's side that "he took off his prison uniform for a moment because it was too hot."

At a regular briefing on August 4, special prosecutor Moon Hongju said, "Yoon's side claims that he removed his prison uniform not to resist but to cool off for a moment, but from our perspective, that was not the case," adding, "(Former President Yoon) strongly resisted while lying down, and the Minister of Justice also agreed with the opinion of Seoul Detention Center."

The special prosecutor's team also indicated that if they are unable to have former President Yoon sit for questioning by August 7, when the validity of the arrest warrant expires, they could seek a reissuance of the warrant. Moon stated, "We are considering the summons of Kim Keonhee on the 6th as well, but we still have the 7th, one day left," and added, "If it doesn't work out, we can get another arrest warrant."

Furthermore, Moon expressed concern, saying, "If we stop executing the arrest warrant here, there is a worry that other ordinary suspects may not comply with arrest warrants in the future," and explained, "During the Park Geunhye government corruption special investigation, Yoon was the head of the investigation team and actually executed a compulsory appearance by obtaining an arrest warrant for Choi Soon-sil, who did not appear."

Yoon's Side: "Illegal Filming" vs. Special Prosecutor: "For Evidence Collection"

Yoon's legal representatives stated in a press release that day, "Former President Yoon thought he would not be able to meet with his lawyer that morning and briefly removed his prison uniform because it was too hot." The representatives claimed, "The special prosecutor's team requested that he comply with the arrest, and former President Yoon, embarrassed to be in his underwear, covered himself with a blanket and asked to consult with his lawyer," and "the special prosecutor's team not only avoided letting him meet his lawyer but also filmed the embarrassing situation without legal grounds."

In response, the special prosecutor's team said the filming was for securing evidence to prevent unnecessary disputes. Moon explained, "As soon as we entered, (former President Yoon) asked, 'What is that?' and we explained, 'It is to prevent illegality or disputes during the arrest process.' Also, if we attempted to arrest him by force and he resisted with force, it could constitute obstruction of official duties by force, so we explained that it was also for evidence collection."

He added, "Last week, there were reports that a power of attorney from Yoon's legal team had been submitted, and we were waiting to hear their opinion, but the document has not yet arrived." In response, Yoon's side stated, "The power of attorney for attorney Bae Boyoon has not arrived by mail yet, and attorney Kim Hongil plans to submit it on the 6th or 7th."

Sambu Construction's Lee Eunggeun and Lee Iljun Sent to Trial... First Indictment by Kim Keonhee Special Prosecutor

Additionally, the special prosecutor's team indicted Sambu Construction chairman Lee Iljun and former CEO Lee Eunggeun on August 1 for alleged violations of the Capital Markets Act. This marks the first indictment since the investigation began on July 2.

Chairman Lee and others are accused of deceiving investors in May and June 2023 by making it appear that Sambu Construction would actively pursue reconstruction projects in Ukraine, thereby inflating the stock price and then selling their shares to gain a total of 36.9 billion won in illicit profits. Sambu Construction, classified as a Ukraine reconstruction stock, saw its share price soar from the 1,000 won range in May 2023 to as high as 5,500 won during trading two months later.

The special prosecutor's team believes that, using the Ukraine Reconstruction Forum held in Poland in May 2023 as an opportunity, they issued press releases claiming to have signed various MOUs with local governments, misleading investors into believing that reconstruction projects would proceed.

Special prosecutor Moon stated, "Former chairman Cho Seongok is still under investigation, and we are making efforts to quickly apprehend vice chairman Lee Kihun." Both are suspected of the same offenses as chairman Lee and former CEO Lee, and the special prosecutor's team had previously requested arrest warrants for them. However, the court dismissed the arrest warrant for former chairman Cho, and vice chairman Lee has been confirmed to be on the run.