Seoul: Special counsel Cho Eun-suk has issued a summons for former President Yoon Suk Yeol to appear for questioning this Saturday regarding his alleged martial law bid. This move suggests that the investigation team might pursue a detention warrant if Yoon fails to comply.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon had been instructed to attend additional questioning at Cho's office at 9 a.m. this Saturday, following an initial round of questioning. However, the former president did not appear as scheduled.
During a press briefing, Park Ji-young, a deputy to the special counsel, emphasized that the former president has been given a final opportunity to appear by 9 a.m. on July 5. She further warned that failure to comply could lead to the court issuing a detention warrant, provided all legal requirements are satisfied.
Legal representatives for Yoon have requested a delay in his appearance, proposing a 10 a.m. start instead, indicating a willingness to comply with the scheduled questioning. Nevertheless, the special counsel declined this request, insisting on the 9 a.m. summons.
Last week, an initial request for a detention warrant by the special counsel team was denied by the Seoul Central District Court. Yoon's absence from the questioning on Tuesday was anticipated, as his legal team had sought a postponement due to health concerns and a pre-existing hearing related to his criminal trial on insurrection charges. Although Cho's team agreed to move the date from Monday to Tuesday, they did not accommodate any further changes.
This instance marks the first time Yoon has defied the special counsel's summons.