In South Korea’s power struggle, President Yoon Suk-yeol, who was suspended by parliament, refused to be questioned by the judiciary. Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court began deliberations on the 63-year-old’s dismissal. In addition, the head of Yoon’s ruling party resigned.
Yoon “refused” to respond to a call for questioning about the martial law he had declared at short notice, the Public Prosecution Service said on Monday.
According to prosecutors, Yoon did not respond to an initial subpoena. The interrogation should have taken place on Sunday evening. After Yoon’s “refusal”, he received a new summons on Monday, according to the Public Prosecution Service.
In addition to this investigation by the country’s public prosecutor’s office, there is another investigation by a joint committee of the police, the anti-corruption bureau and the Ministry of Defense.
In theory there is a death penalty
This aims to investigate the circumstances surrounding the controversial declaration of martial law in early December. According to information from Yonhap news agency, the suspended president was summoned for questioning on Wednesday, but the request was immediately rejected by his office.
If Yoon continues to refuse to be interviewed, investigators may seek a judicial arrest warrant. The suspended president and his entourage are under investigation for, among other things, ‘sedition’, and if found guilty he could theoretically face the death penalty.
Yoon was removed from office on Saturday
The president briefly declared martial law on December 3. Given a dispute over the budget, he surprisingly made use of this measure, causing alarm both at home and abroad. However, the opposition-dominated parliament exercised its veto power in a dramatic session, after which Yoon lifted martial law after a few hours.
Since then, there have been massive protests against Yoon in South Korea. On Saturday, parliament voted to impeach the president with the help of votes from Yoon’s PP party. Yoon has now been officially suspended from office and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has taken over presidential duties. According to the South Korean Constitution, it is now the turn of the Constitutional Court. According to its own information, discussions on the case started on Monday.
Theoretically, the court has six months to make a decision. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung called on the court on Sunday to confirm the removal “soon.”
Party leader apologizes
Meanwhile, the leader of Yoon’s ruling PP party resigned. At a press conference in Seoul on Monday, Han Dong-hoon apologized to everyone who “suffered” under the brief declaration of martial law.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
