President Yoon's Legal Team: "Separate Responses to Investigation and Impeachment... Will Soon Announce Position on Appearance Before Investigative Agencies"

"Constitutional Court Impeachment Trial Written Argument: President Yoon to Express Position Directly"
Lawyer Seok Dong-hyun: "No Intent of Regime Overthrow or Riot, Does Not Meet Rebellion Criteria"

President Yoon Suk-yeol's legal team announced on the 17th that they will respond separately to the investigations by law enforcement agencies and the impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court.

Amid demands for his appearance from multiple investigative agencies such as the prosecution and police, they said President Yoon's position regarding appearances before investigative agencies will be announced soon. They also stated that once the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial proceedings begin, President Yoon will appear in person to present his stance.

Attorney Seok Dong-hyun (former Chief Prosecutor of Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office). Yonhap News

Seok Dong-hyun, a lawyer involved in forming President Yoon's legal team (Judicial Research and Training Institute class 15), told reporters that the recent 'December 3 Emergency Martial Law Incident' did not involve the president committing treason to seize power nor did it include elements of riot, asserting that "the conditions for treason are not met."

He added, "Instead, we will scrutinize the opposition party's various governance failures and breaches of national order."

Lawyer Seok stated, "Since the nature of the treason investigation and the impeachment trial are different, we will form separate legal teams to respond." This is interpreted as meaning that separate defense teams will be activated for the treason investigation and for the impeachment trial.

Regarding the prosecution's Emergency Martial Law Special Investigation Headquarters (headed by Park Se-hyun, Seoul High Prosecutor) summoning President Yoon on the 21st, he said, "It is difficult to comment on whether he will appear."

He also argued that coordination is necessary among the multiple ongoing investigations by the prosecution, police, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), and concerning the appearance, he said, "We will review and assess these matters and issue a statement within a few days once they are settled."

Meanwhile, Lawyer Seok said, "President Yoon will confidently and sincerely express his position in court."

Although it is uncertain whether a public hearing will be held during the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial, if it is, it appears that President Yoon intends to appear in person to explain his position before the justices.

He said, "From the president's perspective, there is no legal concern about the charge of treason, but realistically, since the investigative agencies are proceeding this way, there will be a response to the investigation." He added that he expects the response to extend to the trial stage as well.

Lawyer Seok, known as a classmate from Seoul National University Law School and a 40-year close friend of President Yoon, left the prosecution in 2012 while serving as head of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, taking responsibility for a controversy involving a suspect's sexual relations with a former Seoul Eastern District Prosecutor (first bar exam class) who was then a law school graduate. Having served as Secretary-General of the National Unification Advisory Council under the current administration, Lawyer Seok has joined President Yoon's legal team but will not directly represent him, instead supporting him from the sidelines.

President Yoon's legal team is expected to be centered around former Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission Kim Hong-il (class 15), a former head of the Central Investigation Division of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and Busan High Prosecutors' Office, and former Daegu High Prosecutor Yoon Gap-geun (class 19), who served as the 3rd Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and head of the Anti-Corruption Department at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.