26 December 2024

By Minwoo Park

GWACHEON, South Korea (Reuters) – Suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk-yul did not respond on Wednesday to a second summons from anti-corruption authorities investigating prosecutors over a martial law decree he issued earlier this month.

Yoon did not appear for questioning until 10 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Christmas Day at the request of the Corruption Bureau's senior officials, after his first summons last week was ignored.

Yonhap News Agency quoted an agency official as saying that she would continue to wait for Yoon on Wednesday, adding that she would need to review the case further before requesting an arrest warrant.

Yoon also did not respond on December 15 to a separate subpoena from prosecutors investigating the declaration of martial law, Yonhap said.

Yoon's repeated defiance of summons and failure to appear for questioning have drawn criticism and calls from the opposition for his arrest, citing concerns about the potential destruction of evidence.

In a televised speech on December 7, four days after martial law was declared, Yoon said he would not evade legal and political responsibility for his actions.

Parliament accused Yoon on December 14 of briefly imposing martial law and must now face a trial before the Constitutional Court over whether to remove him from office or restore his presidential powers.

Prosecutors, police and the Corruption Investigation Bureau have launched investigations into Yoon and other officials, seeking to pursue charges of rebellion, abuse of power or other crimes.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers an address to the nation at the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, December 12, 2024. Presidential Office/Handout via Reuters/File Photo

Mutiny is one of the few charges against which the South Korean president does not have immunity.

The lawyer advising Leon said he was willing to offer his opinions in person during the legal proceedings related to the declaration of martial law.

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