Prosecutors have ordered South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to appear for questioning Saturday over his failed attempt to impose martial law, Korean media reported on Tuesday.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol denies sedition charges but is willing to co-operate with the investigation, the president’s lawyers said.
Yoon intends to indicate his position at the court hearing if it is public. The lawyers could not say whether the president would appear for questioning by the prosecutor’s office on December 21. He did not turn up for questioning on Monday.
Earlier, the joint investigation team said it would ask Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning on Wednesday. The joint investigation team includes representatives from the police, the Office for the Investigation of Corruption of High-ranking Officials and the Defence Ministry’s investigation unit.
On Saturday, members of South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach Yoon. The head of state’s removal was supported by 204 lawmakers, 85 opposed and three abstained.
The reason for his removal from power was the president’s recent attempt to impose martial law in the country to combat political opponents. The decision angered the country’s residents and parliament voted unanimously in favour of lifting martial law.
Last week, the Democratic Party, the largest in the opposition, attempted to seek the impeachment of the president, but the majority of deputies of the ruling Power of the People Party refused to participate in the vote, thanks to which Yoon Suk Yeol then managed to keep his post.
