SEOUL: Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol skipped questioning on Tuesday (Jul 1) risked another attempt at arresting him by skipping questioning by a special prosecutor investigating his December declaration of martial law, prompting the prosecutor to issue a new summons for Saturday.
Yoon said he did not go to Tuesday’s appointment because he needed to prepare for a hearing later this week in an ongoing case.
Yoon was ousted in April by the Constitutional Court, which upheld his impeachment by parliament for a martial law bid that shocked a country that had prided itself on becoming a thriving democracy after overcoming military dictatorship in the 1980s.
Through his lawyers, Yoon, a powerful former top prosecutor elected president in 2022, has accused the special counsel of going on a politically-motivated “witch hunt”, describing as illegal some of the tactics used against him.
Yoon’s lawyers did not immediately comment on the new summons, but Yonhap news agency said Yoon was expected to attend with his lawyers asking prosecutors for a formal attendance request.
On Monday, Yoon’s lawyers had said Jul 5 was the earliest he would be able to appear, citing a trial court hearing on insurrection charges set for Thursday that he must attend and his rights as a defendant to rest and prepare.
A spokesperson for the special prosecutor’s team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
