Seoul: The state anti-corruption agency made another unsuccessful attempt on Tuesday to forcibly bring President Yoon Suk Yeol in for questioning regarding his alleged mishandling of martial law imposition last month. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), which is spearheading the investigation into Yoon, sent a prosecutor and six investigators to the Seoul Detention Center with the aim to "either forcibly bring in the suspect or interrogate him face-to-face at the scene," as stated by the office.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the questioning was not conducted due to Yoon's late-night return to the detention facility. The CIO stated that it plans to reschedule the questioning following further discussions. President Yoon has consistently refused to appear for questioning, with this being the fourth consecutive time he has declined since being taken into custody. His sole appearance was on the first day of his arrest, during which he opted to remain silent.
Investigators arrived at the Uiwang detention center, located just south of Seoul, around 5:47 p.m. Tuesday, anticipating Yoon's return after his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in central Seoul. However, Yoon made an unexpected stop at a nearby military hospital for unspecified medical treatment, delaying his return until approximately 9:09 p.m. Under regulations that safeguard inmates' rights, questioning without consent after 9 p.m. is prohibited.
The CIO seemed unaware of the planned hospital visit, as the details of a sitting president's itinerary are typically not disclosed to external entities. This attempt marks the second failure by the CIO to bring Yoon in for questioning. A previous attempt on Monday was halted after a six-hour standoff with Yoon's legal team.
The CIO is contemplating conducting the questioning within a designated room in the detention center rather than transporting Yoon to an external location. A renewed effort to question him could occur as soon as Wednesday.