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The Seoul High Prosecutors' Office in Seocho District, where the special prosecutor’s office for the insurrection case is located. / Source: Yonhap News

The special prosecutor investigating the insurrection case has summoned Yoo Jung-hwa, a lawyer on former President Yoon Suk-yeol’s legal team, over allegations that she leaked details of Yoon’s arrest warrant.

According to Asia Today’s reporting on July 21, the special counsel’s office has notified Yoo to appear at the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office—where the investigation team is based—on July 25 for questioning. Yoo is accused of leaking Yoon’s arrest warrant and of fabricating elements of an official statement.

On July 7, the special prosecution team claimed during a press briefing that the arrest warrant issued for Yoon had been leaked via his defense counsel. The team said that after the warrant was submitted to the court, Yoon’s lawyers made a copy, and the document—including the former president’s resident registration number and testimony from related individuals—was subsequently disclosed. The team vowed legal action.

An official investigation has since been launched on charges including violation of the Personal Information Protection Act and unauthorized disclosure of official secrets. Yoo has now been identified as the main suspect in the leak.

Speaking to Asia Today, Yoo confirmed receiving the summons, saying, “I was informed by the special counsel’s team to appear on the 25th. I’ll need to further discuss the matter with them.” Regarding the allegations, she said, “I did not leak the arrest warrant,” adding that any response given to the media was solely to verify facts in response to press inquiries.

Yoo joined Yoon’s legal team after the December 3 martial law crisis and has represented the former president in his impeachment and criminal insurrection trials. She also took part in Yoon’s warrant hearing on July 9, when prosecutors sought his arrest on charges including abuse of power.

Yoo previously served as a legal adviser to the Saenuri Party and the Liberty Korea Party (now the People Power Party), and was a member of the PPP’s media affairs committee. She currently handles media communications for Yoon’s defense team.

Meanwhile, it was also revealed that Kim Keon-hee, Yoon’s wife, recently added Yoo as co-counsel alongside attorney Choi Ji-woo (Judicial Research and Training Institute class of 39).