Jamaine Punzalan

A man watches South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol speak during a news broadcast on a television at a train station in Seoul on December 3, 2024, after he declared emergency martial law. Anthony Wallace, AFP

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1737007005451YOON.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"></span></span></span></div><p>A man watches South Korea&#x27;s President Yoon Suk Yeol speak during a news broadcast on a television at a train station in Seoul on December 3, 2024, after he declared emergency martial law. Anthony Wallace, AFP </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>South Korea&#x27;s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol refused to appear for fresh questioning by investigators Thursday, a day after his dramatic arrest over a failed martial law declaration.</p><p>The Constitutional Court also opened its second hearing in a trial that will decide whether to uphold Yoon&#x27;s impeachment, following the dawn raid that made him the country&#x27;s first-ever sitting president to be detained.</p><p>The former star prosecutor -- who faces charges of insurrection -- was questioned for hours Wednesday but exercised his right to remain silent before being moved to a detention centre.</p><p>Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) were to resume Yoon&#x27;s questioning Thursday afternoon, but his team told them he would not attend.</p><p>&quot;President Yoon Suk Yeol&#x27;s representatives informed the CIO through his legal counsel around 1:50 pm that there is &#x27;no change in his position&#x27;, indicating his intent not to appear,&quot; the CIO said in a statement.</p><p>Lawyer Yoon confirmed to AFP the embattled leader would not attend, without specifying the reason, but told the Yonhap news agency it was for health reasons.</p><p>&quot;President Yoon is not well and fully explained his position yesterday so there is nothing more to be interrogated about,&quot; Yoon Kab-keun told Yonhap, an apparent reference to his Wednesday decision to not answer questions.</p><p>Wednesday&#x27;s<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/1/14/clashes-as-s-korean-investigators-attempt-to-arrest-president-yoon-0609"> dramatic arrest</a> saw a hundreds-strong force of police and investigators bypass bus barricades, cut barbed wire and scale ladders to get inside the compound where Yoon was surrounded by hundreds of guards.</p><p>Yoon said he complied with investigators to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/1/15/south-korea-s-yoon-says-he-agreed-to-questioning-to-prevent-bloodshed-1257">avoid &quot;bloodshed&quot;</a> but did not accept the legality of the investigation.</p><p>Meanwhile, officials were trying to secure a new warrant that could hold him for longer than 48 hours.</p><p>If investigators successfully obtain that warrant, they are expected to be given a 20-day extension to the leader&#x27;s detention to allow time to formalize an indictment against him.</p><p>South Korea&#x27;s opposition Democratic Party celebrated Yoon&#x27;s detention, while the parliament speaker said it was time to stabilize the country after weeks of turmoil.</p><p>But Yoon&#x27;s lawyers have filed for a review of the warrant used to arrest him.</p><p>A hearing to review the warrant&#x27;s legality was set for 5 pm (0800 GMT) at a Seoul court Thursday.</p><p>Experts say Yoon&#x27;s legal team appeared to be trying to drag out the arrest process to his benefit.</p><p>&quot;It appears that every legal tactic is being employed by Yoon&#x27;s team to prolong the situation,&quot; Lee Jong-soo, a law professor at Yonsei University, told AFP.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/1/15/south-koreans-emotional-weary-of-political-drama-after-yoons-arrest-1953">South Koreans emotional, weary of political drama after Yoon&#x27;s arrest</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>TRIAL TRIBULATIONS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Yoon shocked the nation late on December 3 when he declared martial law, claiming he needed to safeguard South Korea &quot;from the threats posed by North Korea&#x27;s communist forces and eliminate anti-state elements&quot;.</p><p>He deployed troops to parliament but lawmakers defied them and voted down the move. Yoon revoked martial law after just six hours and was later impeached by parliament.</p><p>The 64-year-old suspended leader then evaded arrest for weeks by remaining in his residential compound, protected by loyal members of the Presidential Security Service (PSS).</p><p>Shortly after he was taken to the CIO offices, investigators began questioning Yoon, but they said later he exercised &quot;his right to remain silent&quot;.</p><p>The CIO confirmed they were addressing him as &quot;Mr President&quot; during questioning.</p><p>In a parallel probe, the Constitutional Court is deciding whether to uphold Yoon&#x27;s impeachment.</p><p>If that happens, Yoon will finally lose the presidency and fresh elections must be held within 60 days.</p><p>He did not attend Thursday&#x27;s hearing in person and his lawyers instead requested a postponement that the court &quot;decided not to accept&quot;, spokesperson Cheon Jae-hyun told reporters.</p><p>The trial is continuing in Yoon&#x27;s absence, though proceedings could last for months.</p><p>However, the National Assembly&#x27;s legal team told reporters before the hearing began that Yoon&#x27;s arrest had &quot;created the conditions to swiftly resolve the constitutional crisis through procedures outlined by the Constitution and the law.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/1/14/impeachment-trial-of-south-korean-president-yoon-begins-1340">Impeachment trial of South Korean President Yoon begins</a></div><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol refused to appear for fresh questioning by investigators Thursday, a day after his dramatic arrest over a failed martial law declaration.</p>

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol refused to appear for fresh questioning by investigators Thursday, a day after his dramatic arrest over a failed martial law declaration.

South Korea's Yoon avoids fresh questioning after dramatic arrest

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South Korea's Yoon avoids fresh questioning after dramatic arrest

Agence France-Presse

Published Jan 16, 2025 01:59 PM PHT

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