President Yoon was reluctant to give information
15/01/2025
Yoon's failure to comply with the three previous orders to appear for further investigation only escalated the confrontation with the authorities. - REUTERS Photo
SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reportedly refused to testify during an interrogation session on Wednesday, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Yoon's arrest comes after a series of dramatic events during which he ignored various requests from authorities to attend, leading to his arrest on charges of leading a rebellion.
The charges override the president's immunity from prosecution, triggering a sharp escalation of the political crisis following his attempt to enforce martial law in December. The Jan. 15 date marks 43 days since Yoon's proposed military law sparked political turmoil.
His failure to comply with the three instructions to appear for further investigation only escalated the confrontation with the authorities.
Earlier this month, the first attempt to detain Yoon was thwarted after an hour-long confrontation with the Presidential Security Force on Jan. 3.
At 11am on Wednesday, Yoon was taken to the Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIOs) in Gwacheon for questioning, but he refused to testify during the session.
The CIO has 48 hours to decide whether to apply for an arrest warrant from the court against Yoon.
In a video message recorded earlier, Yoon voiced concern about the collapse of the rule of law in the country, saying he agreed to attend to avoid a violent confrontation between his security forces and the authorities.
"Although this is an illegal investigation, I have decided to comply to avoid unwanted bloodshed," he said.
Yoon's legal team challenged the validity of the arrest warrant, claiming it was issued by a court that lacked proper jurisdiction and disputed the legal authority of the investigative team.
