Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has defied a prosecutors’ summons, further intensifying the political turmoil surrounding his controversial imposition of martial law earlier this month.
According to Yonhap news agency, the special prosecution team investigating Yoon’s attempted martial law declared that the president failed to appear for questioning scheduled at 10 a.m. on Sunday at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. The summons, reportedly sent to Yoon’s office on December 11, was confirmed to have been received, but Yoon did not comply.
“We have confirmed delivery of the summons to President Yoon’s office,” a prosecution official stated. “We plan to issue a second summons on Monday.”
The investigation centers on Yoon’s abrupt declaration of emergency martial law earlier this month, a move that was met with widespread condemnation and accusations of unconstitutional abuse of power. The National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon on Saturday, suspending him from his presidential duties.
Yoon faces allegations of utilizing martial law to suppress political opposition, including ordering military commanders to deploy troops to the parliament and arrest key political figures. Prosecutors on Sunday sought arrest warrants for senior military officials implicated in the case, including the head of the Army Special Warfare Command and the chief of the capital defense command.
Authorities have been actively questioning military commanders and officials connected to the martial law decree, signaling a broad and deepening probe into the extent of the alleged abuses.
Yoon’s refusal to comply with the prosecutorial summons has raised questions about the potential for further legal action and the stability of South Korea’s political landscape during this tumultuous period.
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Prosecutors say Yoon defied summon order in martial law probe
cgtn.com
