January 23, 2025
Gwacheon – Suspended President Yoon Seok-yeol continued to refuse to be questioned by the Office for the Investigation of Senior Officials’ Corruption on Wednesday, prompting investigators to explore options to force him to comply with subpoenas.
Like their attempts on Monday and Tuesday, investigators were hampered on Wednesday by Yoon's refusal to be questioned again and by his legal team's refusal to engage in any kind of questioning, according to the chief information officer.
Earlier on Wednesday, Chief Prosecutor Oh Dong-woon told reporters that enforcement of the subpoena would be inevitable given Yoon's continued refusal to comply.
The chief information officer, who leads the joint team investigating the president, argued that the decision to force Yoon to be questioned was not unfounded, citing a 2013 Supreme Court authorization to enforce a subpoena against a suspect who refused to appear in court after being arrested interrogation.
In addition to remaining silent on the first day of his arrest, Mr. Yin has refused to appear in court for questioning six times in a row.
The prospect of enforcing the subpoenas has sparked dissatisfaction among others, including Yun Jap-geun, Yun Jap-geun, Rep. Kwon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the ruling People's Power Party, and some legal figures, who say the agency will Crossed the line.
No South Korean president has ever been forcibly taken for questioning by investigative agencies after being held in a detention center, even after his term ended.
Former presidents Park Geun-hye, Chun Doo-hwan, and Roh Tae-woo have all been interviewed by investigators or prosecutors after being indicted. Former President Lee Myung-bak refused to be questioned while in detention.
These investigations precede the formation of the CIO in 2021.
Yoon's legal team said the mandatory subpoena was illegal, denouncing the chief information officer as violating the president's right to self-defense and access to counsel.
The agency also announced that on Wednesday afternoon it attempted to execute a search and seizure warrant to obtain servers for Yoon's secure cell phone and computer at the presidential residence and presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul.
However, investigators had to withdraw from the Blue House because the Blue House refused to allow investigators entry.
At the same time, Wu also said that the agency is working closely with the prosecutor's office on the transfer of the case.
The formal arrest warrant initially authorizes the chief information officer to detain the president for 10 days after his arrest, which can be extended to 20 days with court approval. During this time, the agency can assist with interrogations and hand the case over to prosecutors, who have the power to charge the sitting president with insurrection.
According to reports, although the agency and prosecutors tentatively agreed to divide the 20-day detention period into two 10-day phases, prosecutors requested an early transfer of the case after taking into account the possibility that the court might refuse to extend the detention period.
“We will be fully prepared for an early transfer to prevent any flaws in the process. We will try our best to transfer the case to the prosecution before January 28.
