Former President Yoon Suk-yeol's side pushed back against Minister Jung Sung-ho's remark from the Ministry of Justice that attorney visits were being conducted excessively, saying the facts had been misidentified. They argued that reviewing restrictions on a defendant's constitutional rights based on incorrect information is an unconstitutional idea.
Yoon's defense team said this in an "open letter to the Minister of the Ministry of Justice" released to the press that day, saying, "Before discussing restrictions on visitation rights, first get the facts straight," and stated accordingly.
Earlier, the Minister said at a monthly work meeting streamed live on YouTube the previous day that a defendant's right to meet with counsel must be guaranteed to the fullest, but meeting all day long is problematic. The point was that former President Yoon, occupying one room and repeatedly meeting counsel by rotating attorneys, could harm other inmates and their lawyers. The Minister raised the issue of some inmates monopolizing interview rooms for long periods and instructed officials to review the results and problems of the smart visitation pilot program before considering whether to expand it.
In response, Yoon's side argued that while there is room for misunderstanding to spread that senior politicians or conglomerate figures are engaging in so-called "emperor-level visits," the reality is different. They said it is impossible for former President Yoon to occupy an interview room all day given his schedule, as he currently appears for trial on average more than three times a week, excluding public holidays and weekends.
The defense team explained that even on days without trial, they apply for visits after checking available times online, just like other attorneys. They also argued that when they actually visit the detention center, there are a fair number of empty interview rooms, so it is not a situation in which other inmates' visits are disrupted.
Rather, the defense team said it is necessary to check whether the correctional authorities, out of administrative convenience, are excessively restricting the operation of attorney interview rooms. They added, "The unconstitutional instruction to review restrictions on a defendant's visitation rights based only on incorrect information is a highly inappropriate remark that could immediately infringe on the public's constitutional rights," and said, "Please reexamine the situation and reconsider what appropriate instructions for sound correctional administration should be."
Earlier, on the 16th, the Minister said at a "monthly work meeting" streamed live on YouTube, "A defendant's right to meet with counsel must, of course, be guaranteed to the maximum, but doing it all day is a problem," and "Former President Yoon also, in fact, should not do that, but by occupying one room all day and continuing visits by changing lawyers, others are harmed." According to the Ministry of Justice, during former President Yoon's first and second detentions, the number of visits totaled 538 over 319 days as of the 6th.