Yoon, ex-defense chief snub jailhouse parliamentary investigation hearings

Home > National > Politics

print dictionary print

Yoon, ex-defense chief snub jailhouse parliamentary investigation hearings

A hearing held by the parliamentary committee investigating President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law takes place at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, on Feb. 5 without the president in attendance. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

A hearing held by the parliamentary committee investigating President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law takes place at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, on Feb. 5 without the president in attendance. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

 
The parliamentary committee investigating President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived imposition of martial law failed to convince either Yoon or his former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to attend hearings held at both their detention facilities on Wednesday.
 
Committee members visited both facilities where the impeached president and the former defense minister are being held on the same day.
 
Yoon is being held at the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, while Kim is at the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center in Songpa District, southern Seoul.
 
According to Democratic Party (DP) Rep. Han Byung-do, the committee proposed holding the hearing at the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center behind closed doors, but Kim still declined to attend, citing the need to prepare for his ongoing criminal trial with his lawyers.
 

Related Article

Kim has been accused of trying to help Yoon carry out his martial law decree, which members of the liberal Democratic Party (DP) and law enforcement have characterized as a botched attempt to replace the country's democratic order with military rule.
 
He was arrested and indicted on charges of participating in an insurrection shortly after resigning his post in early December.
 
The committee's subsequent visit to the Seoul Detention Center was marked by a raucous rally mounted by the president's supporters, who shouted slogans calling for his reinstatement and the arrest of DP leader Lee Jae-myung.
 
Some even called on committee members to "get lost."
 
Rep. Ahn Gyu-back, second from left in the front row, speaks to the media outside the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, on Feb. 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Rep. Ahn Gyu-back, second from left in the front row, speaks to the media outside the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, Gyeonggi, on Feb. 5. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

As the lawmakers left the prison grounds in the afternoon without having met Yoon, his supporters shouted more slogans calling for an investigation into the results of the April general election, when the DP won a landslide majority in the National Assembly, and the president’s release from jail.
 
Police deployed over 300 officers to the area surrounding the prison to forestall any potential violence.
 
Hundreds of Yoon's supporters stormed the Seoul Western District Court on Jan. 19, just after the court approved a warrant for his arrest.
 
Police have arrested approximately 100 people in connection with the riot, during which protesters smashed windows and security devices inside the courthouse.
 
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court decided to delay the questioning of National Police Agency (NPA) Commissioner Cho Ji-ho following his failure to appear for the fifth hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial on Tuesday.
 
Cho is now scheduled to appear before the court at 3:30 p.m. during the trial's eighth hearing on Feb. 13.
 
He is due to be questioned after National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong at 10:30 a.m. and former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Kim Bong-sik at 2 p.m.
 
However, it remains to be seen if the NPA chief will actually appear for the Feb. 13 hearing.
 
Cho told the court he could not attend Tuesday's hearing due to health issues and the possibility his testimony could be used against him at his upcoming criminal trial, which centers around his role in executing Yoon's martial law decree.
 
Court spokesperson Cheon Jae-hyun said in a briefing on Wednesday that the court will evaluate whether the reasons provided by Cho for his nonattendance are justified.
 
The sixth hearing of Yoon's impeachment trial is due to be held on Thursday.
 
 

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]
Log in to Twitter or Facebook account to connect
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
help-image Social comment?
s
lock icon

To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.

Standards Board Policy (0/250자)