[News Plus] 2nd impeachment vote tomorrow...Police "consider warrant for president's arrest"

■ Host: Lee Yeo-jin, anchor Jang Won-seok
■ Starring: Lawyer Lee Go-eun

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN News PLUS] when quoting.

[Anchor]
Let's talk to a lawyer with legal issues and prospects related to the impeachment vote against President Yoon Suk Yeol and the investigation into the rebellion. Welcome. Let's start with the investigation into the rebellion. The police said today that they will consider requesting an arrest warrant as well as requesting President Yoon to attend. What do you think?

{이고}In fact, I actually tried to enter the presidential office two days ago by obtaining a search warrant. In the end, we withdrew in the form of receiving voluntary submissions for some data. However, the police said today that they are reviewing the request for direct investigation of the president or the arrest warrant. However, in order for an arrest warrant to be issued, an arrest warrant can be issued if you refuse to attend without a justifiable reason.

However, since he has not yet requested a summons as a suspect, there may be a lack of clarification on this part, so I think there is a high possibility of issuing a warrant if he formally summons the suspect's Yoon Suk Yeol first and refuses to comply. Rather, there are warrants and various results and data for those around you, so I think it would be more realistic to apply for an arrest warrant first, request it, and issue it based on that. I think an emergency arrest is more appropriate in the current situation than an arrest warrant.

[Anchor]
The police said they would review the search warrant for the president's office again. But I received some data in the form of voluntary submission, but I said this was insufficient. Can you force an investigation?

{이고}Now that the warrant has not been executed properly by the police, we are now considering whether to re-enforce the warrant, which has already been issued, or apply for a new warrant again, because it came back with a random submission and the warrant has not been executed," he said. However, even in the search and seizure warrant issued by the special prosecutor this time, the contents of the police side are that the judge wrote this. Considering the peculiarity of the presidential office, there was a proviso rule to request a voluntary submission and to execute the seizure and search through the manager's permission if it failed, so I think I requested a voluntary submission first. Therefore, whether to issue an additional warrant for this part now or the scope of the last search and seizure is not included in the presidential residence. So, we will have to wait and see if we will apply for another search warrant, including the official residence.

[Anchor]
Police Commissioner Jo Ji-ho is now waiting for his arrest. However, the lawyer of the National Police Agency Commissioner Jo Ji-ho made a new argument. Arrest the judge who acquitted Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, in the first trial of perjury on the list of arrests at the time of martial law. If this is true, it was an attempt to neutralize not only the legislature but also the judiciary, can we see it like this?

{이고}I think there's plenty of room for that to be interpreted. As a legal professional, I was very shocked to see the report on this part. Now, the lawyer of National Police Agency Commissioner Jo Ji-ho said, and although it was not left in any record, this statement was made during the investigation process. Then, I have a specific statement. I think this is very likely true, but speaking of the current judge's name, Kim Dong-hyun, the police chief Jo Ji-ho is such a strange name, so who is it? When I asked like this, he explained in detail that he was a judge who acquitted Lee Jae-myung of perjury. This is considered to be a very detailed statement that is actually very difficult to make if you don't experience it.

If this is true, the Supreme Court also expressed its position today. He said it was a serious violation of jurisdiction. In this regard, if it is true, it is very likely that he intended to take control of the judiciary, and I think that this part is a continuing rebellion, and that it is likely to have a great impact on the criminal trial of abuse of authority.

[Anchor]
I think the legal professionals who heard this news must have felt a lot of shock and anger. If it's true. With this, should I say that I'm more likely to be convicted of rebellion?

{이고}I think I've gotten a little higher. After all, aren't both the crime of rebellion and abuse of authority criminal trials? In the criminal trial, judges are ultimately required to judge whether they are guilty or not, but I think many judges would feel angry about this if they heard that some of the judges, the incumbent judge who acquitted Lee Jae-myung of perjury teacher charges, and ordered his arrest. I think this will have a bad effect on the criminal trial that President Yoon Suk Yeol will eventually receive. [Anchor] The prosecution is also stepping up its investigation. We have requested an arrest warrant for Yeo In-hyeong, commander of counterintelligence. If you look at the charges pointed out now, I have an important mission. Then, in the end, it's an investigation process that sees the leader as the president of Yoon Suk Yeol.

{이고}That's right. In fact, the police, the prosecution, and the Senior Civil Servant Corruption Investigations Unit are all continuing to investigate by saying that the leader of the civil war and the accomplice of the civil war are the president of Yoon Suk Yeol. That's why in the course of the investigation, President Yoon Suk Yeol is the head of the group and among the accomplices, we are the so-called main culprits. In the end, the investigation of former commander Yeo In-hyeong is considered a consolation process to investigate President Yoon Suk Yeol because he was identified as the main culprit. Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was issued an arrest warrant on the 10th.

And on the 10th and 12th, the prosecution investigated former commander Yeo In-hyeong twice and requested an arrest warrant today. However, Commander Yeo said today that he would not attend the actual examination of the arrest warrant. If so, it seems that there is a very high possibility that a warrant will be issued. If so, I think the prosecution will also seek an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol very quickly than expected.

[Anchor]
If Commander Yeo In-hyeong is arrested, wouldn't it be the second time to secure a key recruit of Chungampa following former Minister Kim Yong-hyun?

{이고}That's right. In fact, President Yoon Suk Yeol, former commander Yeo In-hyeong, and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun are all seniors and juniors at Chungam High School. And he is also seen as a very important person in this civil war. In addition, he is being investigated after being indicated as an accomplice for plotting in advance. So if commander Yeo is arrested, there will be only one person left. It is believed that the situation in which an arrest warrant will eventually be filed against President Yoon Suk Yeol is likely to occur sometime next week. I think we need to wait and see the progress of the investigation.

[Anchor]
Now, major agencies are investigating as if they are competing, so which agency do you think is closest to President Yoon in the investigation?

{이고}In fact, I think it's so fast that I can't judge who's faster. The police have issued a search warrant for the presidential office, where the president of Yoon Suk Yeol is now, and have tried to execute it. A search and seizure warrant eventually secures data on the suspect's Yoon Suk Yeol and evidence of the allegation first. In other words, there are many cases where a search and seizure warrant is issued after appointing a suspect to conduct a forced investigation. So the police are also investigating very quickly, and today, the investigation is progressing very quickly because we are thinking about summoning suspects or arresting warrants for President Lee Yoon Suk Yeol. The prosecution is also proceeding fairly quickly.

A warrant was requested for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on the 9th and a warrant was issued on the 10th. As I said earlier, I also requested an arrest warrant today after investigating former commander Yeo In-hyeong on the 10th and 12th. So, maybe next week or so, whether the police will first apply for a summons or arrest warrant for President Yoon or the prosecution will request it, this will determine the speed of the investigation.

[Anchor]
On the other hand, the general special prosecutor and the permanent special prosecutor for rebellion have both passed the plenary session of the National Assembly. If an independent counsel is held, all existing investigations will stop, right? When do you think a special prosecutor can be set up and start a full-fledged investigation?

{이고}I think we need to wait and see the situation a little longer. However, even if a special prosecutor comes out, if you look at the laws related to the special prosecutor, you can fully cooperate or cooperate with the investigation agencies and other investigative agencies. So, the police, prosecutors, and the Senior Civil Servant Corruption Investigations Unit will probably investigate very quickly until the special prosecution is properly initiated. Depending on the progress of the investigation, these parts, such as handing over data or cooperating with the investigation, will be more clearly outlined.

[Anchor]
If the National Assembly passes the impeachment motion tomorrow, can you explain what procedures will be taken after that?

{이고}First of all, if there's less than 24 hours left. It's scheduled for 4 p.m. tomorrow. If the impeachment bill is approved, President Yoon's duties will be suspended immediately. Not only that, but it's going to be very fast right now. Within 180 days, the Constitutional Court has to decide whether to cite the impeachment trial or dismiss it. Isn't 180 days 6 months in our opinion? It will be decided whether President Yoon will be fired in six months, so we will have to wait and see about this.

[Anchor]
Speaking of the 180th, here is the point that Chin Yoon-gye is paying attention to now. This is because of Article 51 of the Constitutional Court Act, which stipulates that the impeachment trial process can be suspended if criminal proceedings are carried out for the same reason as impeachment. This must be completed within 180 days, but in this case, the Constitutional Court's hearing may be delayed after the court's sentence. There's also this concern, so what do you think?

{이고}In the case of the constitutional law you just mentioned, it is said that it can be suspended. It is not an obligation to be suspended, but that the court can suspend the judgment process. Therefore, President Yoon will set up a team of lawyers. Or President Yoon himself will write a pleading statement. Various reports are coming out. In other words, it seems that President Yoon will actively compete in the impeachment trial.

I think there will be a lot of people involved. So if we call a lot of witnesses and conduct a lot of witness examinations, I think the procedure on this part could be a little longer. But in the end, there is no place for the head of state, right? Then, since the instability in state administration becomes very high, I carefully predict that there is a greater possibility of a sentence within 180 days without actually stopping.

[Anchor]
Then, the 180-day deadline, will the Constitutional Court use all of this or conclude earlier. How do you view it?

{이고}Actually, I think the issue is very simple. If you think about it more than former President Park Geun Hye, President Yoon's allegations are very simple and clear. Is it civil war or abuse of authority? Also, is the emergency martial law unconstitutional in the end, or is this illegal? It's not that hard to judge an issue because it's a very clear issue in a way, but isn't there a lot of people involved? There are a lot of people involved in the case other than the three who were designated as the main accomplices of the Constitutional Court, so if President Yoon decides to delay the process by applying for witnesses to all of these witnesses, it could be very long.

However, I think the results are likely to come out within 180 days because the Constitutional Court judges have authority over how to run this trial in the end. I think the court will also make great efforts to pull it as soon as possible. [Anchor] The Constitutional Court currently has six judges. Didn't President Yoon appoint one of them? Justice Jung Young-sik. And didn't President Yoon appoint Justice Chung Young-sik's execution as chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee Park Sun-young a day before the first impeachment vote? This is why the opposition party has insurance. Under the six-member system, even one person has to approve it now, so if this happens, the Constitutional Court will dismiss it. Isn't President Yoon looking forward to this?

{이고}There are also concerns that the opposition party said it was cited for such expectations. But the president's impeachment trial is what I think the whole nation is paying attention to, and media reports will continue to come out from the beginning to the end of the impeachment trial. And in the Constitutional Court's ruling, there may be concerns, but I think the Constitutional Court will make the right decision.

[Anchor]
I see. Let's stop here today. Lee Go-eun was a lawyer. Thank you.