South Korean investigators seek to question reluctant president over martial law
Yoon Suk Yeol over his December 3 declaration of martial law, summoning him for questioning on Christmas Day despite his repeated refusal to cooperate. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military authorities into the ill-conceived power grab that lasted only a few hours, said it plans to question Yoon on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion.
Yoon, whose presidential powers have been suspended since the opposition-controlled National Assembly impeached him on December 14, has dodged several requests by the joint investigation team and public prosecutors while also blocking searches of his office.
It's not clear what investigators can do if Yoon continues to reject their demands. Under the country's laws, locations potentially linked to military secrets cannot be seized or searched without the consent of the person in charge, and it's unlikely that Yoon will voluntarily leave his residence if he faces of being compelled to appear.
Yoon is focusing on defending himself at the Constitutional Court, which following his impeachment will decide whether to remove him from office or reinstate his powers.
Authorities have already arrested Yoon's defence minister, police chief and several other military commanders involved in the attempt to enforce the martial law decree, which harkened back to the days of authoritarian leaders the country hasn't seen since the 1980s.
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