South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol did not attend questioning for the second consecutive day Thursday in connection with allegations of rebellion linked to his efforts to establish martial law. The arrested Yoon is the first sitting president in South Korea, held at the Seoul Detention Centre since Wednesday. He cited health issues as a reason for not appearing before investigators for interrogation.
The authorities must interrogate Yoon within a 48-hour window, upon the expiry of which they may either release Yoon or seek the detention warrant of longer duration. However, all this has taken a back seat as Yoon’s lawyers challenged the legality of the arrest at the court itself.
The investigation falls in line with the Constitutional Court’s second hearing on Yoon’s impeachment trial, which will decide whether he is permanently expelled from office or reinstated. The political crisis emerged after Yoon attempted to declare martial law on December 3, which parliament rejected.
Opposition Democratic Party lawmakers claimed that Yoon orchestrated an attempted coup on December 3 by resisting his arrest, which is meant to be a way of creating chaos. Jung Chung-rae, the chairman of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, said impeachment trial is the only way for preventing Yoon from resuming his position as commander-in-chief.
Yoon’s defense countered, claiming the impeachment was politically motivated and aimed at usurping presidential power. The DP, leveraging its parliamentary majority, initiated the impeachment process, which also saw some support from Yoon’s own party.
Yoon’s lawyers deny the charges of insurrection, a serious crime in South Korea that can lead to life imprisonment or even the death penalty. Public opinion on Yoon’s impeachment remains divided, with a recent Realmeter poll showing rising support for his party. Yoon maintains that his declaration of martial law was made in good faith, citing national emergency concerns.
