South Korea's President Yoon Suk-yeol refuses interrogation

Detained South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has decided not to participate in a second interrogation scheduled for 16 January 2025. This complicates the investigation against him on charges of organising a conspiracy to impose martial law in the country.

According to Reuters, investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) stated that Yoon continues to refuse to cooperate with them, despite a prepared questionnaire exceeding 200 pages.

The interrogation was initially scheduled for 14:00 (05:00 GMT), but a defence representative stated that the president would not attend. Yoon's lawyer, Yoon Kab-kyun, explained the refusal to participate by citing the politician's health issues and added that, in his view, further investigative actions are meaningless, without providing details.

The president's defence argues that the arrest warrant was issued unlawfully, as the court that made the decision lacked the necessary jurisdiction. Moreover, the lawyers believe that the group conducting the investigation did not have a legal mandate to carry out its actions.

In response to the arrest and charges, Yoon's legal team filed a complaint with the prosecution regarding the actions of CIO leadership and certain police officers. They categorically reject the conspiracy charges, noting that the offence in question is punishable by life imprisonment or, in some cases, the death penalty in South Korea.