South Korea’s Yoon defies second summons over martial law decree

Embattled leader fails to appear for questioning over short-lived declaration of martial law for second time in a week.

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has defied a summons to appear for questioning over his short-lived declaration of martial law for the second time in a week.

Yoon did not appear for questioning on suspicion of insurrection and abuse of power after being ordered to attend the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, at 10am on Wednesday.

Yoon previously failed to respond to a separate summons by prosecutors on December 15.

Yoon, who served as the country’s top-ranking prosecutor before entering politics, has been suspended from his duties since December 14, when the National Assembly voted for his impeachment in a 204-85 vote.

The Constitutional Court of Korea is currently deliberating whether to uphold the motion and remove Yoon from office, a step that must be approved by at least six of nine justices.

The court has scheduled its first public hearing on the matter for December 27 and could take up to six months to deliver its ruling.

New elections would be held within two months if Yoon’s removal is confirmed.

Yoon’s brief declaration of martial law on December 4 stunned South Korea, plunging the country into its worst political crisis in decades.

Yoon, who said the declaration was aimed at tackling “anti-state forces”, has defended his actions as legal and pledged to “fairly confront” the investigations against him.