Seoul: Investigators failed Wednesday at their third attempt to forcibly bring in President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning over his botched martial law bid. Prosecutors and investigators with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) visited the Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, south of Seoul, to question Yoon over his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, but the president refused all forms of interrogation, including on-site.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the investigators withdrew after five hours while Yoon met with his legal team. "We plan to discuss and decide the next steps in the questioning and procedures," the CIO said in a notice to the press. Yun Gap-geun, one of the lawyers, explained that they informed the CIO about Yoon's need to prepare for the impeachment trial hearing at the Constitutional Court, adding that they have already conveyed all necessary information.
In a statement, Yoon's legal team criticized the CIO's repeated attempts to forcibly bring in the president as a "seriously illegal investigation," arguing that it violates the constitutionally guaranteed right to remain silent. Oh Dong-woon, the CIO chief, had earlier urged Yoon to "respect the decision of the judiciary," suggesting that any objections should be addressed within the legal framework.
The CIO has resorted to bringing Yoon in by force, as he has consistently refused to comply with orders to appear for questioning over his failed martial law bid. The only time Yoon sat for questioning was immediately after his apprehension at his residence last Wednesday, during which he exercised his right to remain silent.
Investigators also attempted to bring Yoon in on Monday and Tuesday but withdrew both times due to non-cooperation from Yoon's side. Human rights regulations prohibit questioning a suspect without consent after 9 p.m., and Yoon returned to the detention center past that time on Tuesday after attending his impeachment trial and a medical exam at a military hospital.
Oh partially acknowledged that Yoon's delayed return seemed aimed at avoiding questioning, describing the situation as "regrettable" and likening it to a "game of hide-and-seek." The investigators decided to wait at the detention center instead of pursuing Yoon at the hospital, considering it inappropriate from a human rights perspective.