SEOUL (AFP): South Korea’s suspended president Yoon Suk Yeol refused a summons for questioning for the second time, an investigative panel said on Monday, after he rejected one earlier last week.
The conservative leader was stripped of his duties by parliament on December 14 following his brief declaration of martial law 11 days earlier, plunging the country into its worst political crisis in decades.
Yoon faces impeachment and criminal sedition charges that could see him jailed for life, or even face the death penalty, over a drama that stunned democratic South Korea’s allies around the world.
The anti-corruption agency investigating Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration said it had sent the summons to his office and residence.
But “the postal system shows that the president’s office had ‘declined receipt’ of the summons,” investigators said in a statement.
The summons, which was sent electronically, also gave the status of “unidentifiable,” making it unclear whether Yoon had received it.
Investigators had called on the 64-year-old to appear for questioning at 10:00 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Christmas Day. Local media reported that the holiday was chosen to accommodate Yoon, as traffic and crowds were likely to be lighter.
If Yoon appears, he would become the first sitting South Korean president to face questioning by an investigative agency. He failed to attend the first hearing on Wednesday and gave no explanation for his absence.
Should Yoon fail to appear on Wednesday, the Corruption Investigation Bureau could seek an arrest warrant to compel him to appear – also an unprecedented move against a sitting president.
Yoon remains suspended from office while the Constitutional Court considers whether to uphold his impeachment. The court has about six months to announce its decision. Should the court decide to remove him from office, a by-election should be held within two months. – AFP
