South Korean prosecutors have asked the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol to appear for questioning over his martial law imposition by December 21, Yonhap news agency said Tuesday.
The prosecution's special investigation team delivered a summons to Yoon's side Monday, calling for Yoon to appear for questioning over charges of insurrection and abuse of power by Saturday.
The prosecution sent an official letter last week to the presidential side, asking Yoon to appear at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office at 10am local time (1am GMT) Sunday.
Yoon defied the subpoena last week, reportedly saying that his defense counsel had yet to be formed.
The prosecution was quoted as saying that if Yoon does not comply with the second summons order, it will consider seeking an arrest warrant.
If Yoon complies with the summons, he will become the country's first sitting president to appear at the prosecutors' office for questioning as a criminal suspect.
Separately, a joint investigation unit of the police, the defense ministry and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials asked Yoon to appear for questioning on Wednesday, but both the presidential office and residence refused to receive the summons.
Yoon was named by investigative agencies as a suspect on a rebellion charge following his martial law imposition on the night of December 3 which was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
The second motion to impeach Yoon was passed through the National Assembly on December 14 and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power will be suspended.
A general view shows the constitutional court in Seoul, South Korea, on December 16, 2024.
South Korea's constitutional court had asked President Yoon Suk-yeol to submit written answers for his impeachment trial by next week, multiple media outlets said Tuesday.
Kim Hyung-du, one of the six court justices, told local reporters that a notification was delivered Monday morning to inform Yoon of the court receiving the National Assembly's impeachment resolution against him.
Kim noted that the notification included a phrase calling for Yoon to send written answers by December 23.
Based on Yoon's written answers and the parliament's impeachment resolution, the constitutional court will earnestly review both claims from the National Assembly and the impeached president.
The constitutional court will hold the first preliminary hearing on the impeachment on December 27, vowing to prioritize the case on whether to uphold or reject Yoon's impeachment that was passed through the National Assembly over the weekend.
At least two-thirds of the nine-member constitutional court should rule in favor of the impeachment to remove Yoon from office.
Currently vacant are three justices, for whom the majority opposition Democratic Party and the ruling People Power Party recommended two and one justices respectively.
If the court upholds the impeachment, a snap presidential election will be held within 60 days, but otherwise, Yoon will immediately be reinstated.
Source: Xinhua
