The embattled leader failed to appear for questioning over the short-lived martial law declaration for the 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 rebellion and abuse of power after he was ordered to report to the Senior Officials Corruption Investigation Bureau in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
Yoon previously failed to respond to a separate subpoena by prosecutors on December 15.
Yoon, who served as the country’s top prosecutor before entering politics, has been suspended from his duties since December 14, when the National Assembly voted to impeach him by 204 votes to 85.
The Korean Constitutional Court is currently deliberating whether to uphold the proposal and remove Yoon from office, a move that must be approved by at least six of the nine justices.
The court set the first public hearing on the matter for December 27, and it may take up to six months to issue its ruling.
New elections are scheduled to be held within two months if Yoon’s dismissal is confirmed.
Yoon’s brief declaration of martial law on December 4 caught South Korea by surprise, plunging the country into its worst political crisis in decades.
Yoon, who said the announcement was aimed at tackling “anti-state forces,” defended his actions as lawful and vowed to “face the investigations against him fairly.”
