SEOUL – Investigators probing suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol over his foiled martial law bid have ordered him to appear before the country’s corruption watchdog on Christmas Day – after he snubbed a previous summons this week.
Conservative leader Mr Yoon was stripped of his duties by parliament last weekend following his short-lived December 3 martial law declaration, which plunged the country into its worst political turmoil in decades.
He faces impeachment and criminal charges of insurrection that could see him jailed for life, or even face the death penalty, over a drama that stunned democratic South Korea’s allies around the world.
He is being investigated by prosecutors as well as a joint team of police, defence ministry and anti-corruption investigators.
“The Joint Investigation Headquarters has notified President Yoon Suk Yeol of a second summons request,” the latter said in a statement on Dec 20.
The hearing at the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) is scheduled for 10am on Dec 25. If Mr Yoon shows up, he will become the first sitting South Korean president to appear before an investigative agency.
Mr Yoon failed to attend a hearing he was summoned to on Dec 18 and gave no reason for his absence.
Prosecutors earlier this week had ordered Mr Yoon to appear for questioning or face possible arrest, but they have handed the case over to the CIO.
CIO chief Oh Dong-woon told parliament on Dec 17 they were also “reviewing” whether to issue an arrest warrant.
Mr Yoon has been suspended from his position, and the Constitutional Court on Dec 16 began proceedings to determine whether to uphold his impeachment. It has around six months to rule on the matter.
The court has been requesting documents related to the martial law declaration, but they have now been returned undelivered three days in a row.
“The attempt to serve documents to the respondent, the president, failed. Meaning that they could not meet him,” said a spokeswoman for the court.
“We are reviewing other options,” she added.
Former President Park Geun-hye was impeached under similar circumstances to Mr Yoon, but she was investigated after the constitutional court removed her from power. AFP
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