| President Yoon Suk Yeol talks over the phone with Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at his office in Seoul in October. (Presidential Office) |
President Yoon Suk Yeol's second refusal to appear for questioning by the joint investigative unit Wednesday morning marks another instance of his inaction and defiance regarding ongoing investigations into insurrection allegations and his impeachment trial.
The standoff over Yoon's impeachment and the investigation continues to escalate and is now entering its fourth week since his declaration of martial law on Dec. 3.
The joint investigative unit — comprising the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, the Korean National Police Agency’s National Office of Investigation, and the Defense Ministry’s Criminal Investigation Command — issued two separate summonses to Yoon, requesting that he appear for questioning on Dec. 18 and again on Wednesday.
Yoon failed to appear at the Corruption Investigation Office headquarters, located in the government complex in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, at the designated time of 10 a.m on Christmas Day.
The joint investigative unit issued the most recent summons on Dec. 20, but the president has refused to acknowledge or comply with either summons. Since its formal launch on Dec. 11, the unit has yet to conduct any face-to-face questioning with Yoon.
If President Yoon failed to appear, a decision on whether to issue a third summons or pursue an arrest warrant was expected as early as Thursday.
Yoon's legal team has yet to file a notice of attorney appointment with the COI, citing delays in assembling a defense team. The office also noted it has received no communication from the presidential office regarding the investigation.
Yoon's side maintains that the Constitutional Court's impeachment trial should take precedence over the ongoing investigation, as the National Assembly has already passed the impeachment motion. It argues that the legitimacy of the martial law declaration should be debated openly in the impeachment trial, rather than behind closed doors in interrogations with investigative agencies.
However, Yoon has declined to accept any documents from the Constitutional Court since the National Assembly passed the impeachment motion on Dec. 14 and has failed to comply with its submission orders.
The Constitutional Court had instructed Yoon to provide records from the Dec. 3 Cabinet meeting and proclamations related to martial law by Tuesday. Yoon’s team had not submitted any materials by the time businesses closed for Christmas.
| Lawyer Seok Dong-hyeon speaks to reporters at the Seoul High Court of Korea in Seocho-gu, southern Seoul, Dec. 19. (Yonhap) |
A confidant of Yoon has instead criticized the Constitutional Court for rushing the impeachment trial.
Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer who wishes to be identified as Yoon’s aide until the president’s defense team is officially launched, on Tuesday told reporters that a "trial addressing such a grave matter as the president’s removal must not proceed in a rushed and sloppy manner."
Seok, who previously told the reporters that Yoon requires additional time to assemble his defense team, shared that the president's lawyers plan to make a statement after Christmas Day.
"This does not mean Yoon will address everything. As the first preparatory hearing is scheduled on Friday, there should be something for Yoon's lawyers to say before the trial," the confidant told the reporters on Tuesday, hinting at the president's first possible response.
Meanwhile, the court, the National Assembly and investigative authorities are preparing for the impeachment procedures to gain momentum.
Responding to Seok’s latest remark, questioning whether the court should deliberate on Yoon’s impeachment with a third of its bench empty, court press officer Lee Jin on Tuesday reaffirmed the Constitutional Court can proceed with the impeachment trial -- from deliberations to oral arguments -- with six justices.
The court is scheduled to begin the first preparatory hearing on Friday, even if Yoon or his legal representatives fail to attend.
The National Assembly’s impeachment investigation committee, which will serve as a prosecutor in the upcoming trial, seeks to settle the impeachment matters as soon as possible.
“Regardless of Yoon’s (and his lawyers’) stances, we will quickly make claims and apply for evidence according to the legal procedures,” Democratic Party Rep. Choi Ki-sang, the committee’s secretary and spokesperson, told reporters Tuesday.
The committee reportedly submitted National Assembly plenary meeting and standing committee meeting minutes -- discussing martial law matters -- to the court on Wednesday. The copy of the martial law decree, which was requested of Yoon, was submitted to the court by the committee as well.
Though Yoon remains firmly at his residence in Hannam-dong, central Seoul, key military and police officials are being investigated for their alleged involvement in the short-lived martial law declaration. Among them is former Defense Intelligence Commander Noh Sang-won, who is accused of organizing a meeting with top military personnel to dole out orders in preparation for the martial law imposition.
.jpeg?type=nf190_130)
