SEOUL — Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces mounting scrutiny as investigators seek to question him over his December 3 declaration of martial law, an ill-fated move that lasted mere hours.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, working with police and military authorities, aims to probe Yoon on charges of abuse of authority and orchestrating a rebellion.
Yoon, whose presidential powers were suspended after his impeachment by the opposition-controlled National Assembly on December 14, has so far ignored three requests for questioning and blocked searches of his office.
He is focusing on defending himself at the Constitutional Court, which will determine whether to remove him from office or reinstate his authority.
Yoon’s martial law decree, which involved deploying heavily armed troops to encircle the National Assembly, has plunged the nation into political chaos.
Lawmakers unanimously voted to lift martial law, despite Yoon’s attempts to obstruct the process.
Accusations have surfaced that Yoon ordered military intelligence officials to detain key politicians, including opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik.
Authorities have arrested Yoon’s defense minister, police chief, and several military commanders involved in the decree.
The commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, Kwak Jong-keun, testified that Yoon instructed troops to “destroy the door and drag out the lawmakers,” but Kwak refused to carry out the order.
Yoon is also under fire for deploying troops to the National Election Commission, citing unsubstantiated claims of election fraud from right-wing conspiracy theories.
The commission rejected these allegations, and Yoon has not provided any evidence to support them.
Investigators have obtained a warrant to arrest Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, commander of the Defense Intelligence Command, for allegedly plotting enforcement strategies for martial law.
Moon is accused of discussing plans with subordinates and retired officials just days before Yoon’s declaration.
The fallout from Yoon’s actions has disrupted state affairs, halted diplomacy, and shaken financial markets, compounding challenges posed by South Korea’s struggling economy.
Acting Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has attempted to reassure allies of the country’s stability, but escalating tensions between rival political factions complicate the situation.
Seok Dong-hyeon, a lawyer for Yoon, defended the president’s actions as emergency measures to counter opposition obstructionism, denying any intent to paralyze parliamentary functions or detain lawmakers.
The investigation into Yoon’s conduct continues as experts debate whether he can be compelled to cooperate. — Agencies