Yoon rejects 4 inquiry requests

[Anchor]

President Yoon has repeatedly refused the investigation requests from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), except for the questioning on the day of his arrest.

It seems that the CIO has determined that in order to complete the investigation before the end of the detention period, face-to-face questioning must be conducted quickly.

Reporter Kim Young-hoon reports.

[Report]

On the day of his arrest, January 15, President Yoon Suk Yeol exercised his right to remain silent during the first suspect interrogation and has since refused to comply with four requests for attendance from the CIO.

Since a proper investigation has not been conducted, it appears that the CIO has reviewed laws and precedents and concluded that compulsory summons is possible.

According to Supreme Court precedents, if a detained suspect does not comply with a request for attendance for questioning, the investigative agency can summon them to the interrogation room.

The limited time remaining for the CIO also seems to have influenced the decision to attempt compulsory summons.

Under the Criminal Procedure Act, detention investigations can last up to 20 days from the time of arrest.

However, since the CIO does not have the authority to indict a sitting president, they have agreed to share this period with the prosecution.

Afterward, the CIO must complete the investigation and hand the case over to the prosecution.

There is a sentiment within the prosecution, which has already detained and indicted key figures such as former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, that they need to receive the case early, and it is being analyzed that the CIO is aware of this.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office is reported to have recently sent a document to the CIO to discuss the timing of the case transfer.

This is KBS News, Kim Young-hoon.