Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
Special probe into ex-president's insurrection charges gains momentum
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol enters the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, July 9, to attend a hearing on his arrest warrant. Joint Press Corps
By Lee Hyo-jin
Yoon Suk Yeol continues to snub questioning amid intensifying investigation into covert drone mission
Former President Yoon Suk Yeol is under growing pressure as a special counsel investigation into his alleged role in an insurrection has widened to include possible treason charges, bolstered by mounting evidence and key witness testimony.
Special counsel investigators on Tuesday carried out a second day of searches at military-related sites, including the Army’s Drone Operations Command, in pursuit of evidence tied to Yoon’s alleged involvement in a drone mission targeting North Korea.
The previous day, investigators searched more than 20 locations tied to the military, including the Ministry of National Defense, the presidential office and the residence of Drone Operations Commander Kim Yong-dae.
A key focus of the ongoing probe is Yoon’s alleged authorization of a drone mission over Pyongyang in October last year. Prosecutors suspect the operation aimed to provoke a hostile response from North Korea, providing a pretext for Yoon to declare martial law on Dec. 3.
On Oct. 11, 2024, North Korea accused the South of sending leaflet-carrying drones into its capital on three occasions that month, warning of retaliation if such flights continued. Back then, the South Korean military neither confirmed nor denied Pyongyang's claim.
Investigators say the alleged covert drone mission not only raised the risk of military conflict, but also posed risks to national security by exposing classified military intelligence to the North.
The special counsel further suspects that Yoon abused his authority by ordering the drone deployment without approval from the United Nations Command, which oversees the inter-Korean armistice agreement.
Yoon has denied these allegations, maintaining that he was not briefed on drone operations at the time.
Police officers install additional fences outside Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday, where former President Yoon Suk Yeol is being detained. Yonhap
In a separate case, another special counsel team is investigating Yoon’s alleged interference in a military inquiry into the death of a Marine Corps officer during a civilian rescue mission in the 2023 monsoon season.
A pivotal moment in the inquiry centers on a July 31, 2023, meeting among senior presidential aides, during which Yoon reportedly reacted with anger after being briefed on initial findings pointing to negligence concerning soldiers’ safety. That reaction apparently influenced the investigation, allegedly leading to efforts to downplay the soldier's death.
Last week, Kim Tae-hyo, the former deputy national security adviser present at the meeting, testified that Yoon "vented anger," contradicting his own previous claims that he had not observed such emotion from the former president.
Authorities recently seized an iPhone used by Yoon during this period, believing it may contain crucial evidence. However, Yoon has refused to provide the passcode, delaying forensic analysis.
Amid growing pressure, the former president has been refusing to cooperate with the probe, failing to show up for repeated summonses.
Yoon, detained at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang since his re-arrest on Thursday, again declined to appear for questioning on Tuesday afternoon, marking his third refusal since his arrest.
His legal team cited deteriorating health, including worsening diabetes due to what they view as inadequate conditions at the detention center, as the reason.
The special counsel requested correctional officials to bring Yoon in for questioning, but officials reportedly expressed concerns about physically transporting a former president by force.
Assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said Tuesday that Yoon's refusal is viewed as deliberate obstruction.
"Even if a suspect chooses silence, the investigation must continue under the criminal justice system," Park said during a briefing.
If Yoon continues to refuse, prosecutors are considering visiting the detention center to question him. However, the move could spark controversy over potential preferential treatment for the former president.
Park did not rule out indicting Yoon without further questioning or extending his detention period.
There is precedent for such action. In 2018, prosecutors indicted former President Lee Myung-bak on bribery charges without questioning him in person, due to multiple refusals. Notably, Yoon himself led that investigation as head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office.