South Korea’s impeached president Yoon again refuses to be questioned

SEOUL – On January 17, impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol again rejected investigators’ efforts to question him about his failed attempt to implement martial law, as the deadline for his arrest approached.

Yoon plunged the nation into chaos on December 3 when he attempted to impose martial law, citing the need to combat threats from “anti-state elements.”

But His offer lasted only six hours, while the soldiers he led to storm Parliament failed to prevent lawmakers from voting to reject martial law.

In the following weeks, Yoon was impeached by Parliament and resisted arrest while holed up in his guarded residence, before becoming South Korea’s first sitting president to be detained.

The arrest warrant executed in the early hours of January 15 Raid on Mr. Yoon’s residence allowed investigators to hold him for only 48 hours.

but they are He is expected to request a new court order. on January 17 that will likely extend his detention by 20 days, giving prosecutors time to formalize an indictment against him.

The Corruption Investigation Bureau is investigating him for possible charges of insurrection, which, if convicted, could lead to life in prison or execution.

The new order, if filed on Jan. 17, would keep Yoon detained until at least a court hearing and ruling for approval over the weekend. If the court rejects it after the hearing, he would be free.

The CIO had called him for questioning at 10 a.m. local time on January 17, Yonhap news agency reported, but his lawyer, Yoon Kab-keun, told AFP that he had refused to appear for the second day in a row.

CIO officials did not immediately respond to AFP’s requests for comment.

Another lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, told reporters on Jan. 17 that Yoon had already explained his position to investigators and had no reason to answer their questions.

“The president will not appear before the CIO today. Already on the first day he sufficiently expressed his basic position to the investigators,” he stated.

He was questioned for hours on January 15, but exercised his right to remain silent before refusing to appear for questioning the following day.

His supporters gathered outside the court on January 17, where investigators were expected to file the request for the new order, linking arms in an apparent attempt to block them, Yonhap news agency reported.

He had evaded arrest for weeks by staying in his residential complex, protected by loyal members of the Presidential Security Service (PSS).

Hundreds of CIO investigators and police surrounded his compound on January 15 in a second, and ultimately successful, attempt to arrest him.

When he was arrested, he said that he had agreed to leave his compound to avoid “bloodshed,” but that he did not accept the legality of the investigation.

A lawmaker from his ruling People Power Party described the moments before the arrest, with Yoon seemingly unfazed, making sandwiches for his legal team and consoling loyal MPs.

“There was someone who cried and bowed deeply. He patted us on the back to offer us comfort,” said his close ally Yoon Sang-hyun in an interview on YouTube.

When prosecutors arrived with the arrest warrant, one of Mr. Yoon’s last requests was to visit his dog.

“When they demonstrated it, the president said, ‘I understand. “I know what this means, so let’s go now,” said Lawmaker Yoon.

“He said he would like to see Tori (his dog), went up to the second floor, saw where he lived, came out and left.”

The opposition Democratic Party welcomed Yoon’s arrest, with a senior official calling it “the first step” in restoring constitutional and legal order.

Although Mr. Yoon won the presidential elections in 2022, The Democratic Party won the parliamentary elections in April last year by an overwhelming majority.

In a parallel investigation, the Constitutional Court is deciding whether to confirm his impeachment.

If that happens, he would lose the presidency and new elections would have to be held within 60 days.

He did not attend the first two hearings this week.

The trial continues in Mr. Yoon’s absence and the process could last months. AFP

Join ST Telegram Channel and receive the latest breaking news.