On the 22nd, special prosecutor Lee Myung-hyun, who is investigating the death of a Marine, stated regarding former President Yoon Suk-yeol, "He will be summoned last after all other investigations are completed."

Special Prosecutor Lee Myung-hyun. /Courtesy of News1

The special prosecutor said to reporters encountered during his morning commute, "(Former President Yoon) will be summoned last after all other investigations are completed, since he is a former president." He added, "It is something we obviously must do," and noted, "The principle of investigation is face-to-face interrogations, while written inquiries or interviews conducted off-site are not the principle."

The special prosecutor also announced that he would hold his first meeting that afternoon with four special prosecutors: Ryu Kwan-seok, Lee Geum-kyu, Kim Suk-jeong, and Jeong Min-young. He stated, "We plan to conduct an overall legal review," and added, "In the case of the insurrection, the defendants are facing impending detention deadlines. We have to prepare for that as well."

Regarding the timeline for beginning the special investigation, he said, "An office must be established and both physical and human resources must be in place before we can start," adding, "Once the budget related to the special investigation is approved at the State Council, we will move in and quickly proceed with the investigation."

Additionally, the special prosecutor noted, "He requested the dispatch of 20 military prosecutors, military investigation officials, and military police investigators." The special investigation team for the Marine's death can consist of up to 105 personnel.

Furthermore, the special prosecutor announced that former Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-seob, who is under suspicion of external pressure regarding the investigation into this case, will also be included in the targets of the special investigation. Previously, former Minister Lee became involved in controversy after being appointed as the ambassador to Australia while under investigation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials related to this case.