South Korea’s suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol did not respond on Wednesday to a second subpoena from anti-corruption authorities who, along with prosecutors, are investigating his short-lived martial law decree issued earlier this month.
Yoon did not appear for questioning until 10am (local time) on Christmas Day, as requested by the High-Level Officials Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), after ignoring a first subpoena last week.
Yoon also did not respond on Dec. 15 to a separate subpoena from prosecutors who are investigating the declaration of martial law, Yonhap said.
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Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer and longtime friend of Yoon, told reporters on Tuesday that Yoon was unlikely to attend Wednesday’s interrogation, adding without elaborating that the conditions had not yet been met.
Yoon’s repeated defiance of the subpoena and failure to appear for questioning sparked 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 the declaration of martial law, Yoon said he would not escape legal and political responsibility for his actions.
He was charged by parliament on December 14 for a brief imposition of martial law and must now face a trial in the Constitutional Court, which could remove him from office or restore his presidential powers.
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Prosecutors, police and the corruption investigation office have launched investigations into Yoon and other officials over allegations of insurrection, abuse of power or other crimes. Insurrection is one of the few charges for which a South Korean president does not have immunity.
Seok said that Yoon is willing to present his views in person during the legal proceedings related to the declaration of martial law.
