The conservative is the target of an investigation for “rebellion”, a crime punishable by death, for having wanted to impose martial law on December 3.
Published on 25/12/2024 08:33
Reading time: 2min
The deposed South Korean president refused on Wednesday, December 25, to appear for questioning over his failed attempt to impose martial law, the team in charge of the investigation announced. Yoon Suk-yeol was summoned at 10 a.m. local time by the Senior Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), which is centralizing investigations into his December 3 coup. But he never showed up.
This is the second time that the deposed president, a former prosecutor, has refused to obey subpoenas from investigators. He had snubbed a first summons on December 18. In both cases, the summons letters were returned to the sender after being refused. The IOC now has the choice between sending a third summons to Yoon Suk-yeol or requesting a warrant targeting the leader from a court.
Dismissed by Parliament on December 14, the conservative is currently suspended while waiting for the Constitutional Court to review the deputies' decision. He is also banned from leaving the country. Yoon Suk-yeol is under investigation for “rebellion”, a crime punishable by death. After imposing martial law on December 3 and sending the army to try to muzzle Parliament, the South Korean president had to backtrack a few hours later under pressure from deputies and the street.
According to South Korean media, Yoon Suk-yeol, 64, also refuses to acknowledge receipt of the summons sent to him by the Constitutional Court, which will hold a first hearing on his case on Friday. The institution has six months to confirm or deny the impeachment of the president. If she opts for the first solution, a presidential election will have to take place within two months.
