Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol resisted calls from investigators on Monday to answer questions regarding his failed attempt to declare martial law earlier this month. Yoon, who has been suspended from office by parliament since Saturday, is facing multiple investigations over alleged insurrection, with probes being conducted by South Korean prosecutors and a joint team of police, defense ministry, and anti-corruption officials.
On Monday, the Constitutional Court began proceedings to determine whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment, with a decision expected within six months. If found guilty, Yoon and his associates could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty, and he remains under a travel ban.
Prosecutors issued a second summons for Yoon on Monday to answer questions regarding allegations of insurrection and abuse of power, after he previously refused to comply with a similar request the day before. The joint investigation team also asked Yoon to appear for questioning on Wednesday, but his office declined, according to Yonhap news agency. Should he continue to refuse, investigators may seek a court-issued arrest warrant.
Yoon was removed from office on Saturday by parliament following his brief attempt to suspend civilian rule, which led to the country’s most severe political turmoil in years. If the Constitutional Court upholds his impeachment, fresh elections must be held within two months. In the meantime, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is serving as interim president.
The court announced on Monday that a preliminary hearing would be held on December 27, which Yoon is not required to attend. A spokeswoman for the court stated that investigation records from relevant authorities would be reviewed promptly, and the case would be given top priority.
Mass protests against Yoon, along with smaller rallies in support of him, have rocked Seoul since his December 3 martial law decree. Both sides have vowed to maintain pressure as the Constitutional Court deliberates Yoon’s fate.
Meanwhile, authorities have arrested the current and former heads of the Defence Intelligence Command in connection with the insurrection allegations. Prosecutors also arrested Kwak Jong-keun, the head of the Army Special Warfare Command, who is accused of sending special forces troops to parliament during Yoon’s martial law bid, leading to a dramatic confrontation between soldiers and parliamentary staff.
On Monday, Han Dong-hoon, the head of Yoon’s ruling People Power Party (PPP), who was not involved in the martial law attempt and had supported the impeachment, resigned. Han apologized for the political crisis caused by the martial law declaration and condemned extremist views such as election fraud conspiracy theories, warning that conservatism would have no future if such ideas were embraced.
Despite the political turmoil, the South Korean government has aimed to maintain normal operations. Acting President Han Duck-soo spoke with U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday, reaffirming the strength of bilateral ties, and has ordered the military to “enhance vigilance” against North Korea, with which the South remains technically at war.
North Korean state media condemned Yoon as the “ringleader of rebellion” and called for an investigation into him and his allies. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) accused Yoon of attempting to shift blame for the “foolish emergency martial law declaration” onto opposition parties. North Korea often refers to South Korea’s leaders and institutions as “puppets” of the United States. KCNA also criticized South Korea for being in “chaos” over the martial law order, amid deteriorating relations between the two Koreas, with North Korea launching a series of ballistic missile tests in violation of UN sanctions.