"Secure phone records were not deleted"
"Regardless of having left office, what is Kim Keonhee?"
Former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is accused of instructing the Presidential Security Service to delete secure phone server records after the December 3 Martial Law, claimed in court that "the secure phone records were not deleted."
The 35th Criminal Division of the Seoul Central District Court, presided over by Chief Judge Baek Daehyun, held a continued trial on October 31 regarding charges against former President Yoon, including obstruction of special official duties. Former President Yoon appeared in court for the first time in about a month since the initial trial date on September 26.
Kim Sunghoon, former Deputy Chief of the Presidential Security Service, who appeared as a witness, stated that he had never instructed the Security Service to delete the secure phone server records.
Kim explained, "During our first call on December 7 last year, former President Yoon asked about the regulations for operating secure phones. When I said I wasn't sure, he told me to follow the regulations. In the second call, he asked how often the secure phone server records were deleted, and I replied that they were deleted every two days. He said nothing further and ended the call."
He continued, "After that, he said, 'Should we just leave the secure phones of those under investigation as they are? Are secure phones something anyone can access? We need to take action.'"
Kim then contacted Kim Daekyung, former Head of the Support Headquarters at the Presidential Security Service, instructing him to take security measures, but insisted that this was not an order to delete records.
When the questioning turned to the secure phone records, former President Yoon was given an opportunity to speak directly. He said, "I think what I know might be helpful, so let me say something. When I first received the secure phone, I asked the head of the Security Service how the call logs were managed. He said that when the administration changes, all records are deleted and handed over to the next administration. The records are not deleted every two days, and in fact, the call logs remained."
He added, "The records are kept for a considerable period for security purposes. I want to clarify that no such deletion took place."
During the trial, the special prosecutor's team also released Telegram messages exchanged last December between Kim Keonhee and former Deputy Chief Kim.
The special prosecutor's team stated, "At the time, First Lady Kim Keonhee conveyed to the witness that the defendant was concerned about the search and seizure," adding, "The defendant was aware of and sought to prevent the search and seizure."
Former President Yoon responded, "In my 26 years as a prosecutor, I have received countless search and seizure warrants, but here (the presidential office) is a military protection zone, and executing a search and seizure warrant at the Blue House is simply impossible and has never been done. The idea of entering an area where the Commander-in-Chief resides to conduct a search and seizure is unprecedented in our country's history, so I have no reason to be concerned about this."
He continued, "And regardless of whether I have left office, what is Kim Keonhee? You should at least refer to her as 'the First Lady,'" he retorted to the special prosecutor's team.
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