[News Today] YOON BLAMES ‘IMPEACHMENT FRAMING’

[LEAD]
President Yoon Suk Yeol firmly denied claims by former Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-keun. Yoon stated he never used the terms "lawmaker" or "personnel." He accused former National Intelligence Service first deputy director Hong Jang-won and Kwak of fabricating an impeachment conspiracy.

[REPORT]
President Yoon Suk Yeol refuted claims by former Special Warfare Commander Kwak Jong-keun at the end of Kwak's interrogation session.

He said he made a phone call to verify the onsite safety situation and did not use words such as lawmaker or personnel.

Yoon Suk Yeol / President
While there are words like people and lawmakers, I have never used the expression personnel.

President Yoon asked justices to think from a common sense perspective whether orders such as blocking the voting quorum and dragging them out are possible notions in public office.

Yoon said that in the phone call, Kwak did not resist an order or say its implementation was impossible, and reiterated the claim that he did not give an order to drag out the lawmakers.

Meanwhile the president argued that moves to impeach him began with erroneous statements made by two people in particular, Kwak and former National Intelligence Service first deputy director Hong Jang-won.

Yoon Suk Yeol / President
I believe impeachment and insurrection framing began from Hong's conspiracy
and Kwak's appearance on Rep. Kim Byung-joo's YouTube channel both on Dec. 6.

Yoon's team also pointed out that the former commander's testimony has changed several times.

To this, Kwak said he has been refining language because at first, he couldn't use the actual words as is.

Kwak Jong-keun / Former Special Warfare Commander
Instead of 'smash', I said 'open' and instead of 'drag out', I said 'bring out‘. I was refining language, not changing statements.

Meanwhile former Capital Defense Commander Lee Jin-woo is known to have told prosecutors that President Yoon, in a phone call on the day of martial law, used words such as 'smash the door' and 'firearm.'

■ 제보하기
▷ 전화 : 02-781-1234, 4444
▷ 이메일 : kbs1234@kbs.co.kr
▷ 카카오톡 : 'KBS제보' 검색, 채널 추가
▷ 카카오 '마이뷰', 유튜브에서 KBS뉴스를 구독해주세요!

KBS