Detained South Korea's Yoon Refuses Questioning and Challenges Arrest

January 16, 2025 | 09:02 pm

TEMPO.CO, Seoul - South Korea's arrested President Yoon Suk Yeol did not attend a second day of questioning by investigators on Thursday, further stonewalling a criminal probe into whether he committed insurrection with his bid to impose martial law.

Yoon on Wednesday became the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested and was held at the Seoul Detention Centre after refusing to cooperate.

He remained in the center on Thursday, with his lawyer citing his health as a factor for his absence from the questioning. The investigators did not elaborate on why they did not compel him to attend.

Authorities have 48 hours to question the suspended president, after which they must release him or seek a warrant to detain him for up to 20 days. That countdown has been paused, however, as his lawyers have asked a court to review the legality of the arrest.

Yoon's refusal to cooperate with investigators comes as the Constitutional Court held a second hearing in his impeachment trial to determine whether to remove him permanently or reinstate his presidential powers.

South Korea is grappling with its worst political crisis in decades, sparked by Yoon's brief attempt to impose martial law on Dec. 3 that was voted down by parliament.

In opening arguments at the Constitutional Court, an opposition Democratic Party lawmaker condemned Yoon for "the Dec. 3 insurrection" and said Yoon and a small number of supporters had sought to stoke chaos by refusing to accept his arrest warrant.

"This impeachment trial decides whether or not to bring someone like this back to the position of commander-in-chief in control of the military," said Jung Chung-rae, the lawmaker who heads parliament's Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

In response, one of Yoon's defense team said his impeachment was not intended to defend the constitution but for the opposition "to use the majority power of parliament to usurp the position of the president".

The DP used its majority in parliament to vote to impeach Yoon, although some 12 lawmakers from his own party also voted in favor.

Yoon's legal team has denied he masterminded an insurrection, a crime in South Korea punishable by life imprisonment or even technically by the death penalty.

The last executions in South Korea were in 1997, for criminal offenses such as murder.

Opinion polls conducted by Realmeter on Dec. 4, the day after Yoon's martial law declaration, showed 73.6% supported Yoon's impeachment. Its latest survey from Jan. 9-10 showed support for Yoon's ruling party rose to 40.8%, catching up with the DP which posted 42.2%.

Yoon's lawyer Cho Dae-hyen said the suspended president's decision to declare martial law had been made in good faith based on his view that the country was in a state of emergency.

Another of Yoon's lawyers, Bae Jin-han, said: "Some say 'you get impeached if you breathe' nowadays."

Yoon's arrest ended a weeks-long standoff with authorities after police swooped before dawn on his fortified hillside villa in Seoul, to the dismay of supporters at the site.

Yoon said he turned himself in for questioning to prevent what he called the risk of "unsavory bloodshed", though he continued to protest that it was an illegal investigation and invalid arrest warrant.

• 1
• 2
• Selanjutnya

Yoon Suk Yeol Claims Declaring Martial Law is Not a Crime

23 jam lalu

South Korean Investigators Question Arrested President Yoon in Insurrection Probe

1 hari lalu

South Korean Investigators Arrest Impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol

1 hari lalu

Megawati Hangestri Scores 44 Points for Red Sparks, Moves Up to 2nd Place on South Korea's V-League Top Scorers List

1 hari lalu

First Impeachment Trial Adjourned as South Korea's Yoon Absent in Court

2 hari lalu

South Korean President's Impeachment Trial Starts Today

2 hari lalu

Jeju Air Black Box Data Missing from Crucial Minutes Before Crash, South Korea Ministry Says

5 hari lalu

Yoon Suk Yeol's Presidential Security Chief Warns Against Violent Arrest Attempt

6 hari lalu

As South Korea's Impeached President Yoon Awaits Fate, His Party Sees Signs of Revival

6 hari lalu

Who Will Be Lebanon's Next President?

7 hari lalu