South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ignored a summons for questioning over his brief declaration of martial law by failing to appear at the Office of the Corruption Investigation Bureau (CIO) on Wednesday, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon was scheduled to appear at the Office of the Corruption Investigation Bureau (CIO) in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday to be questioned by a joint investigation team comprising the CIO, police and the Defense Ministry's investigation division.
The South Korean President is accused of inciting rebellion over his declaration of martial law on December 3. He has been suspended from office pending a Constitutional Court hearing on his impeachment by the National Assembly.
Several attempts to deliver the summons to Yoon earlier this week were reportedly unsuccessful, with the presidential office refusing to accept them or sending them back.
On Tuesday, CIO chief Oh Dong-woon told the National Assembly’s legislative committee that the summons was being “deliberately” rejected and that his office would swiftly take “legal” action in response.
Oh said the CIO was reviewing whether the criteria for obtaining a warrant for Yoon’s arrest were met, based on the conclusion that it was “most in line with legal procedures” rather than an attempt at an emergency arrest without a warrant.
The attorney general is also considering a second summons.
The prosecutors’ office, which is conducting a parallel investigation into the martial law case, separately asked Yoon to appear for questioning on Saturday after he ignored an earlier summons on Sunday.
As a reminder, on December 14, the National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed imposition of martial law.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol suddenly declared martial law in the country and accused the opposition of "anti-state activities aimed at preparing an uprising."
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