Seoul: Former President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared for questioning on Saturday regarding insurrection charges linked to his martial law declaration on December 3. The investigation, however, faced a temporary suspension after Yoon refused to comply midway through the questioning.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon arrived at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul at 9:56 a.m. The questioning began shortly after, focusing on allegations that he instructed the Presidential Security Service (PSS) to physically prevent his arrest when the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) tried to execute a warrant in January.
After a midday break, Yoon declined to re-enter the questioning chamber for the afternoon session. He protested the presence of a police officer involved in a complaint he had filed, arguing that this officer was unsuitable to be part of the investigation team.
The investigation was paused for three hours before resuming with Yoon's cooperation. The focus then shifted to other charges related to a Cabinet meeting he conducted before the martial law declaration. A senior prosecutor indicated that completing the investigation within the day would be challenging and that questioning might not extend past midnight.
The special counsel team intends to summon Yoon again to address the remaining charges. This session marks the first time Yoon has appeared before an investigative body in about five months, following his arrest and questioning by the CIO in January.
In addition to the insurrection charges, Yoon faces accusations of instructing the PSS to block his arrest and directing the deletion of records from secure phones used by military commanders following the failed martial law attempt. Yoon was detained on January 15 at the presidential residence in central Seoul, becoming the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.
Yoon's lawyer contended that the former president defied previous summonses because the CIO's detention warrant lacked legal justification. Earlier in the day, Yoon arrived at the prosecutors' office without addressing reporters' questions, amidst his team's request for a private entry being denied.
Yoon's legal team issued a statement condemning the special counsel team's actions, accusing them of orchestrating a "political show" in relation to the summons. This marks the first time Yoon has been questioned inside the prosecutors' office, where he once served as a prosecutor.