The Joint Investigation Headquarters — a cooperative investigative physique involving the prosecution, police, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) — has despatched an official summons to President Yoon Suk Yeol, who faces prices of being the “ringleader of a rise up.”
This comes after the prosecution had already requested his look. Since Yoon’s impeachment movement was handed by the National Assembly on December 14, suspending his presidential duties, prosecutors, police, and the CIO have all been vying to summon him for questioning.
On December 16, the Prosecution’s Special Investigation Headquarters for Martial Law (led by Chief Prosecutor Park Se Hyun) introduced that it had issued a second summons to President Yoon. As with the primary summons, the prosecution cited prices of “the ringleader of a rise up” and “abuse of energy and obstruction of the train of rights” below the Criminal Act. Yoon was requested to seem on the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office at 10 AM on December 21. The summons was delivered through each piece of email and mail.
Previously, on December 11, prosecutors despatched Yoon a summons to seem on December 15. However, Yoon’s authorized group refused, citing the unfinished composition of his protection counsel. This prompted the prosecution to concern a second demand for his look.
The prosecution has reportedly warned that if Yoon continues to defy the summons with out professional justification, it would search a warrant for his arrest and pursue pressured investigation measures. On the identical day, the prosecution arrested two key navy figures: Kwak Jong Geun, the commander of the Special Warfare Command, and Lee Jin Woo, the commander of the Capital Defense Command. Both figures had been concerned within the controversial deployment of troops to the National Assembly on the day martial regulation was declared. With the detainment of key navy officers like former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun and Defense Security Command Chief Yeo In Hyung, the prosecution now sees a direct investigation of Yoon as important.
The Joint Investigation Headquarters additionally issued a summons to Yoon, asking him to seem on the CIO workplace at 10 AM on December 18. The police, who had initially been investigating Yoon’s rise up prices, handed over the case to the CIO, who then knowledgeable Yoon of the looks date. The CIO can be investigating former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, former Minister of Public Administration and Security Lee Sang Min, former Army Chief of Staff Park An Su (who additionally served because the commander of martial regulation), and Defense Security Command Chief Yeo In Hyung — all of whom had been charged with rise up alongside Yoon.
As the Prosecution’s Special Investigation Headquarters and the Joint Investigation Headquarters each requested Yoon’s look, consideration is targeted on the place Yoon will in the end seem for questioning. The time period “discussion board buying” — normally utilized in authorized proceedings — has been used to explain Yoon’s distinctive place, as he can technically select which investigative physique to face. Yoon could go for a single, consolidated investigation session, doubtlessly deciding on a venue that he perceives as extra favorable to his case.
Meanwhile, some on Yoon’s facet argue that the president’s declaration of martial regulation shouldn’t be topic to judicial evaluate, suggesting that he could refuse to adjust to any of the summons. If he continues to defy the requests for questioning, authorities could search a court-issued arrest warrant.
Legal consultants have famous that Yoon’s refusal to adjust to the investigation may present an extra foundation for his elimination from workplace. The precedent is obvious. In the case of former President Park Geun Hye, who confronted impeachment in 2017, the Constitutional Court criticized her lack of cooperation with the prosecution and the particular investigation group. In its impeachment ruling, the courtroom acknowledged, “President Park failed to meet her promise to the general public and confirmed no clear intent to uphold the Constitution.”
Yoon himself had beforehand vowed to “take full authorized and political accountability concerning the martial regulation declaration.” If he fails to cooperate with the investigation, it may very well be seen as a repeat of Park Geun-hye’s actions.
Yoon is at the moment forming a authorized protection group led by Kim Hong Il, a former chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, and is actively discussing doable methods to reply to the continuing investigation.
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