Pres. Yoon refuses to testify

[Anchor]

The investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials is ongoing, but President Yoon is refusing to testify.

What could be the intention behind this, and what impact might it have on the investigation? Reporter Hong Jin-ah explores this.

[Report]

President Yoon Suk Yeol claims that the investigation and arrest by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials are all illegal.

According to officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, he is refusing to testify during the investigation.

It has been confirmed that he is not answering any questions from the prosecutors and has not submitted any separate materials to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.

It appears that he is not cooperating with the investigation based on his stance that it is an illegal inquiry.

Refusing to testify is also a constitutional right.

[Ham Sang-wan/Lawyer: "If there are discrepancies with key witnesses' testimonies, this part could be intensely questioned later, so maintaining the right to refuse testimony might be a favorable strategy for the suspect..."]

If President Yoon continues to refuse to testify, there are speculations that the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials may conclude the investigation without filling the maximum detention time of 48 hours as per the arrest warrant.

If he refuses to answer all the questions in the 200-page questionnaire prepared by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, they could finish the investigation by summarizing the key points without asking the remaining questions.

In this case, it is expected that they will decide whether to request a detention warrant based on the prosecution materials of other key suspects, such as former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.

In Kim’s indictment, President Yoon is mentioned over 140 times.

However, there is still a possibility that President Yoon may speak out, claiming the unfairness of the investigation.

[Choi Won-hyuk/Lawyer: "It's not certain yet, but I think there is a possibility that he may selectively answer regarding favorable aspects."]

Among former presidents who have undergone investigations by law enforcement agencies, there has been no case of a complete refusal to testify throughout the entire investigation process.

This is KBS News, Hong Jin-ah.