Seoul
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared for questioning on Saturday over insurrection charges but refused to continue, calling the process illegal. Yoon’s legal team argued that a police officer leading the questioning was unfit, as he was involved in Yoon’s past “unlawful” arrest.
Yoon arrived at the Seoul High Prosecutors Office in the morning and was questioned about ordering the Presidential Security Service (PSS) to block his arrest in January. But he refused the afternoon session because the questioning was led by a police officer instead of a prosecutor.
The special counsel team said the officer knew the case well and needed to ensure consistency in the investigation. They had planned to question Yoon further about a Cabinet meeting before his failed martial law attempt on December 3.
Yoon was impeached 85 days ago and this is his first appearance before investigators in five months. Earlier, he was questioned and arrested by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) in January after refusing three summons in December.
Yoon also faces charges for ordering the PSS to delete secure phone records used by military commanders after his martial law bid. His arrest in January made him the first sitting South Korean president ever detained.
Yoon’s lawyer claimed he ignored the summons because the detention warrant was not legally valid. His legal team accused the special counsel of turning the questioning into a “political show” that violated his rights.
This incident marks a dramatic moment, as Yoon was questioned in the same office where he once worked as a prosecutor himself.