State crisis
Investigators personally summon South Korean President Yoon
Updated 12/16/2024 – 2:06 a.mReading time: 1 min.
On Saturday, President Yoon was removed from power following a vote in parliament. Investigations are now underway into possible abuse of power and rioting against the 63-year-old.
South Korean law enforcement authorities are summoning deposed President Yoon Suk Yeol for personal questioning on Wednesday. The aim is to investigate whether Yoon was guilty of rioting and abuse of power by temporarily imposing martial law, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported. The investigative team against President Yoon consists of members of the police, the anti-corruption agency and representatives of the Ministry of Defense.
Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office on Saturday following a vote in Parliament. Prime Minister Han Duck Soo will temporarily take over presidential duties before the Constitutional Court makes the final decision. It can either confirm Yoon’s impeachment or declare it unconstitutional.
The opposition accuses Yoon of violating the constitution. He had imposed martial law completely unexpectedly at the beginning of the month and lifted it again hours later after massive resistance.
On Thursday, Yoon defended his decision during a short-term televised speech. The president said he had declared martial law to protect the nation. His political opponents are “anti-state forces” that would paralyze government work and disrupt the country’s constitutional order.
