Seoul: A special counsel team and former President Yoon Suk Yeol's lawyers clashed Monday over the reason Yoon was dressed only in his underwear when investigators tried to detain him at his prison cell last week. Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team stated that the jailed former president resisted their attempt to execute a detention warrant by lying on the floor of his cell wearing only his underwear.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the team sought to bring in Yoon for questioning over allegations that he and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, meddled in candidate nominations for the 2022 parliamentary by-elections. When he resisted, the team withdrew after two hours but vowed to try again, using physical force if necessary.
Yoon's lawyers refuted the team's characterization Monday, stating that he was dressed in his prison uniform waiting to meet with his lawyer when the special counsel team arrived and demanded he comply with his detention. The former president asked the team to consult with his lawyer, but they refused, citing the absence of an appointment letter, the lawyers said in a statement to the press.
The lawyers explained, "Former President Yoon thought it had become impossible to meet with his lawyer that morning, and because it was so hot, he briefly took off his uniform." They added that Yoon was startled and covered himself with a blanket when the special counsel team requested compliance with the detention while he was only in his underwear. The lawyers warned of potential legal action against the team and Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho if the situation recurred.
At a press briefing, assistant special counsel Moon Hong-ju disputed the claim, noting his presence at the scene. "His taking off his prison uniform was in order to escape the heat? It didn't appear that way to us," he said. "We gave a briefing that he stubbornly resisted while lying down, and the justice minister said the same upon receiving the opinion of the detention center."