Investigators seek to quiz Yoon over martial law on Christmas Day

A joint law enforcement team investigating the martial law case said Friday it has requested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appear for questioning next week over his involvement in the botched martial law imposition.

The team sent the summons to Yoon to appear for questioning at the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) building in Gwacheon, just south of Seoul, at 10 a.m. next Wednesday, its official said.

It was the second summons request the investigation team has delivered to Yoon after he refused to cooperate with the first summons earlier this week.

The CIO appears to have taken into account security issues for choosing the public holiday to question Yoon.

The CIO said it sent the summons via express mail and electronically to Yoon’s residence and the presidential office in Yongsan.

It chose not to deliver them in person this time after Yoon’s office refused to receive them during the first summons request.

The probe team plans to question Yoon over his role regarding the imposition of the martial law order on Dec. 3, which he rescinded following a National Assembly vote to overturn the order.

The CIO plans to consider filing for a court warrant to detain the president for up to 48 hours should he continue to ignore the summons without valid grounds.

The probe team is looking at charges of insurrection and abuse of power against Yoon.

Yoon was impeached by the parliament Saturday and has been suspended from duties pending a Constitutional Court decision on whether to unseat him from office or reinstate him.