Investigation Into Opinion Polls, Bribery, and Election Law Violations
Special Prosecutor to Conclude Probe on the 28th
Likely to Summarize Charges and Indict Yoon and His Wife Together
The first interrogation of former President Yoon Sukyeol by the Special Prosecutor's Office for the Minjungki case concluded after approximately 8 hours and 30 minutes.
According to the special prosecutor's team on December 20, former President Yoon, who is currently detained at the Seoul Detention Center, arrived at the special prosecutor's office in Gwanghwamun around 9:30 a.m. that day by a Ministry of Justice transport vehicle. The interrogation began at 10:00 a.m., was briefly paused at 11:56 a.m. for lunch, resumed at 1:00 p.m., and concluded at approximately 5:10 p.m.
Afterward, former President Yoon reviewed the interrogation report from 5:26 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. before leaving the office.
It was reported that the special prosecutor's team covered all 160 pages of prepared questions. The investigation focused on alleged collusion with Kim Keonhee and included the following allegations: receiving free public opinion polls worth approximately 270 million won from Myung Taegyun before the 2022 presidential election; accepting a Lee Ufan painting valued at about 140 million won from former Deputy Chief Prosecutor Kim Sangmin in exchange for a nomination request; and receiving personnel and business favors, as well as jewelry worth tens of millions of won, from Lee Bonggwan, Chairman of Seohee Construction, Lee Baeyong, former Chairperson of the National Education Commission, and robot dog entrepreneur Seo Seongbin.
Additionally, the investigation addressed allegations that, during a public debate at the end of 2021 when Yoon was the People Power Party's presidential candidate, he made statements that were inconsistent with the facts regarding Kim Keonhee's alleged involvement in the Deutsche Motors stock price manipulation and her falsified credentials.
Former President Yoon reportedly denied all allegations during the interrogation, focusing on explaining that, from a legal standpoint, the alleged acts do not constitute crimes.
Attorneys Yoo Junghwa, Chae Myungseong, and Bae Boyoon were present during the interrogation, and video recording was not conducted due to the refusal of former President Yoon's legal team. After the interrogation, Yoon's attorney stated, "He actively exercised his right to defense without refusing to testify," and added, "The questions and answers proceeded smoothly."
With only eight days remaining in the investigation period, the special prosecutor's team believes it will be difficult to summon former President Yoon for further questioning. Going forward, the team plans to focus its efforts on organizing charges that could jointly indict former President Yoon and Kim Keonhee, as well as compiling evidence and preparing to transfer any unresolved cases.
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