The special counsel team led by Lee Myung-hyeon investigating allegations that former Minister of the Ministry of National Defense Lee Jong-sup fled to Australia finished a visitation interview of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is held at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, after 4 hours and 30 minutes. Among the three special counsel teams, including the insurrection and Kim Keon-hee probes, this was the first time a detention center visitation interview was conducted.
According to the special counsel team and the Corrections Headquarters, the special counsel's investigative team visited Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, that day and interviewed the former president face to face. The interview took place for about 4 hours and 30 minutes from 1:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., with approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes of actual questioning. The former president's side reviewed the written statement for about an hour and then affixed a seal.
That day, the special counsel team intensely questioned the former president over allegations that he helped the former Minister flee to Australia (harboring a suspect and abuse of authority). The prepared questionnaire was 60 pages long, and the questioning was recorded on video.
This was the second special counsel interview of the former president, following the first session conducted at the special counsel's office in Law and The City on the 11th. As in the first interview, the former president did not exercise the right to remain silent and was largely said to have denied the allegations.
On the special counsel's side that day, Senior Prosecutor Jeong Hyun-seung, who is in charge of the investigation into the Australia flight allegations, personally led the questioning, with one supporting prosecutor and one investigator present. The former president wore prison garb bearing his inmate number during the interview, and attorney Chae Myeong-seong and others attended for his defense, according to reports. The interview was said to have taken place in an official visitation room inside the detention center. It is a location mainly used for in-person questioning of pretrial detainees by investigative agencies.
Until now, the special counsel team had made in-person summons the principle for interviewing the former president, but considering the investigation timeline and requests from the defense team, the second interview was conducted by visiting the detention center. This was the fifth time an incarcerated former president has been questioned. Previously, prosecutors questioned former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo, Park Geun-hye, and Lee Myung-bak at detention centers.
Meanwhile, the Australia flight allegations concern an incident on Mar. 4 last year in which the former Minister, who had been under investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, was appointed ambassador to Australia and departed the country. The former Minister, who had been subject to an overseas travel ban at the time, had the ban lifted four days after the ambassadorial appointment. He then departed immediately to assume the ambassadorship and returned after 11 days.
Based on questioning of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Office of National Security, the special counsel team secured indications that the former Minister's nomination as ambassador was unusual, that the eligibility screening was handled in haste, and that a defense industry cooperation meeting—suspected to have been hastily arranged as a pretext for his return—was planned in a rush.
The special counsel team finished questioning the former president that day and plans to indict next week on charges including abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights, in connection with alleged outside pressure on the investigation.