South Korean investigators have requested impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol to appear for questioning this week regarding his controversial martial law decree. The move comes as authorities expand their investigation into whether Yoon’s actions could be considered rebellion, the Associated Press (AP) reported on Monday.
A joint team involving police, the anti-corruption agency, and the Defence Ministry plans to ask Yoon to attend questioning on Wednesday, according to police. The request follows Yoon’s impeachment by the opposition-controlled National Assembly on Saturday over his December 3 martial law order.
His presidential powers are suspended while the Constitutional Court reviews whether to remove him from office or reinstate him.
If the court dismisses Yoon, a presidential election must be held within 60 days. The Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to rule, but decisions in similar cases have come sooner. For example, the court reinstated former President Roh Moo-hyun after 63 days in 2004, while it dismissed President Park Geun-hye after 91 days in 2017.
Yoon has defended his decree, claiming it was necessary to address an opposition he labelled “anti-state forces” obstructing his agenda. He vowed to “fight to the end” against efforts to remove him. Meanwhile, mass protests in Seoul have drawn hundreds of thousands of people demanding his resignation and arrest.
It remains unclear whether Yoon will comply with investigators’ requests. Prosecutors, pursuing a separate probe into the decree, reportedly invited Yoon for questioning on Sunday, but he refused. Yoon’s office also blocked a police search for evidence at the presidential compound, AP reported.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, now acting leader during Yoon’s suspension, sought to reassure the public and international allies, stating the government would focus on stabilising the economy and maintaining diplomacy.
Liberal opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, head of the Democratic Party, which holds a parliamentary majority, urged the Constitutional Court to make a swift decision.
Lee also proposed a special council to improve policy cooperation between parliament and the government. Seen as a frontrunner to succeed Yoon, Lee narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election.
However, Kweon Seong-dong, a loyalist of Yoon and leader of the conservative People Power Party, criticised Lee’s proposal. “It’s not right for the opposition to act as though they are the ruling party,” Kweon said, adding that his party would maintain its governing responsibilities until the end of Yoon’s term.
Yoon’s impeachment and martial law decree have thrown South Korean politics into chaos, disrupting diplomacy and economic recovery efforts.
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