Special counsel grills Yoon on martial law in 1st questioning session as protests erupt around Seoul

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol returned home early Sunday after undergoing nearly 15 hours of questioning by the special counsel over his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, marking his first attendance at special counsel questioning session.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office building in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on June 28. [KIM KYOUNG-ROK]

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol returned home early Sunday after undergoing nearly 15 hours of questioning by the special counsel over his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, marking his first attendance at special counsel questioning session.

Yoon entered the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office building, where the special counsel’s office is located, at 9:55 a.m. Saturday and exited at 12:59 a.m. Sunday after the questioning had ended.

Although Yoon stayed in the building for about 15 hours, tensions between his side and the special counsel's team persisted throughout the day, leaving only 4 hours and 40 minutes for actual questioning, according to reports.

Yoon did not respond to reporters’ questions while on his way out, such as whether he had ever allowed suspects to choose their interrogators during his time as a prosecutor, and quickly got into a car that was waiting for him.

“The president answered all questions to the best of his knowledge,” said Song Jin-ho, one of Yoon’s attorneys, after the session. “He responded sincerely even to questions about Cabinet meetings, which are already the subject of a trial.”

Addressing the issue of Senior Superintendent Park Chang-hwan, head of the National Police Agency’s Major Crime Investigation Division, being assigned to question Yoon over obstruction of arrest, Song said, “It doesn’t make sense for the person who assaulted Yoon to be the one to interrogate again.”

The assignment of Park as an interrogator, who had previously led the probe into Yoon's alleged obstruction of a detention warrant execution, has led Yoon's legal team to claim a conflict of interest, which has disrupted the special counsel's investigation.

Song demanded that Park be excluded from further questioning.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol exits the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office building in Seocho District, southern Seoul on June 29. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

As Yoon was being questioned, protests by both progressive and conservative civic groups took place across central Seoul on Saturday.

While some civic groups called for an intensive investigation, shouting slogans such as, “Arrest Yoon immediately,” those supporting the former president held a counterprotest nearby.

A group called Candlelight Action staged its 146th protest march near Exit 9 of the Seoul National University of Education Subway Station, close to the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, at 6 p.m. Saturday.

Protesters held placards reading, “Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol and Kim Keon Hee” and “Disband the People Power Party,” demanding a thorough investigation into the insurrection allegations.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol supporters hold up ″Yoon Again″ signs in front of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office building in Seocho District, southern Seoul on June 28. [NEWS1]

As of 7:30 p.m. Saturday, approximately 500 people had gathered, according to unofficial police estimates. Candlelight Action then began marching toward Gangnam Station.

To prevent any clashes, the police deployed 76 riot squads comprising about 4,900 officers throughout downtown Seoul.

Around 7:30 p.m., a group of Yoon supporters holding red “Yoon Again” handkerchiefs suddenly assembled on the sidewalk across from the protest. They shouted slogans like, “Commies, get out of Korea!” in the direction of the protesters. In response, police quickly formed a human barrier along the traffic lanes to separate the groups.

Police also restricted Yoon’s supporters from approaching further from the court-prosecutor complex intersection near Seoul National University of Education Station, preventing any major confrontation.

The special counsel has scheduled Yoon’s second appearance for 9 a.m. on Monday and notified his legal team.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff. BY BAE JAE-SUNG [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]