South Korean investigators are continuing their efforts to question impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding his declaration of martial law on December 3. Despite his repeated refusal to cooperate, Yoon has been summoned for questioning on Christmas Day by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials. The investigation team, along with police and military authorities, is looking into allegations of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion against Yoon.
Yoon's presidential powers have been suspended since his impeachment on December 14, and he has been avoiding requests for questioning and blocking searches of his office. Under South Korean laws, locations potentially linked to military secrets cannot be searched without the consent of the person in charge. It remains uncertain what actions investigators can take if Yoon continues to reject their demands.
Yoon is currently focused on defending himself at the Constitutional Court, which will decide whether to remove him from office or reinstate his powers following the impeachment. Several military commanders, including Yoon's defense minister and police chief, have already been arrested in connection with the attempted enforcement of martial law.
Accusations against Yoon and his military leadership include attempting to prevent parliament from voting to end martial law by deploying armed troops to encircle the National Assembly. Yoon claims the troops were there to maintain order, while a commander testified that Yoon had ordered the removal of lawmakers from the Assembly's main chamber.
Yoon has also been accused of ordering the detention of key politicians, although his legal team denies these allegations. The team asserts that Yoon viewed martial law as an emergency measure to counter opposition obstruction and did not intend to paralyze parliamentary functions.
As Yoon's legal team is being assembled, it remains unclear whether he will continue to ignore authorities' requests for questioning and office searches. Some experts suggest that compelling Yoon to appear for questioning may require the consent of the acting leader, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is currently in a standoff with the opposition Democratic Party over vetoed agricultural bills.
