South Korea’s former President Yoon Suk Yeol lay on the floor of his cell on Friday and refused to comply with questioning, a spokesperson for a special prosecutor said, as investigations into alleged abuse of power and influence-peddling continue.
Yoon, who was removed from office in April by the Constitutional Court over his failed attempt to declare martial law, is being held at the Seoul Detention Centre while facing trial for insurrection and other charges.
Prosecutors from a special investigation team formed under new President Lee Jae Myung attempted to bring Yoon in for questioning regarding influence-peddling allegations involving him and his wife, former First Lady Kim Keon Hee.
"But the suspect stubbornly refused to do so, while lying on the ground, not dressed in a prison uniform," spokesperson Oh Jung-hee told a news briefing. She said prosecutors would try again, even by force if necessary.
Yoon was reportedly wearing only his undershirt and underwear when officials approached him, according to Yonhap News Agency, citing the special prosecution.
Yu Jeong-hwa, one of Yoon’s lawyers, criticised the comments on his attire. “Bringing up what he was wearing in a small space where the temperature was close to 40 degrees Celsius (104°F) was a public insult to his dignity and showed how the state was violating inmates' human rights,” Yu said..
The former president was returned to a solitary cell in July as prosecutors sought additional charges related to his December martial law declaration.
He is currently on trial for insurrection, a capital offence punishable by life imprisonment or death.
Yoon also faces multiple other investigations, including one into alleged inappropriate influence over elections involving him and his wife. Both have denied wrongdoing.
Yoon’s legal team has repeatedly cited health concerns to justify his refusal to appear for questioning. His lawyers said Thursday that he suffers from preexisting conditions, including one that could cause vision loss.
In a veiled reference to Yoon’s previous role as a top prosecutor, Oh said the public was watching closely.
“The suspect has consistently highlighted the importance of laws, principles, fairness, and common sense, and through this cas,e people are watching if the law applies equally to everyone,” she said.
Separately, investigators have requested that Kim Keon Hee appear for questioning on 6 August.
Her lawyers said she would cooperate with the investigation.
Iran on 4 August approved the creation of a National Defence Council, following June’s brief air conflict with Israel, the country’s most serious ...
Hamas on 4 August said it is ready to coordinate with the Red Cross to deliver humanitarian aid to hostages held in Gaza, if Israel meets certain cond...
All five workers trapped underground in a collapse at Chile’s El Teniente copper mine have been found dead, regional prosecutors confirmed on 4 Augu...
At least 54 migrants have drowned and dozens remain missing after a boat carrying around 150 people sank in bad weather off southern Yemen on Sunday, ...
The bodies of a pilot and his 13-year-old son have been recovered after their biplane crashed into the sea off the coast of Mallorca, Spanish authorit...
South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol has requested a court review of his arrest, describing it as unlawful, as prosecutors continue efforts to question him regarding the alleged attempt to impose martial law last year.
Former South Korean First Lady Kim Keon Hee is under scrutiny following revelations that she used a secure presidential phone line to speak with a top aide just weeks before being questioned in a major stock price manipulation and bribery probe.
South Korea’s top court will decide on Friday whether to remove or reinstate President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose brief martial law order sparked the country’s biggest political crisis in years.
South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party has called for a swift ruling from the Constitutional Court on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, citing concerns that ongoing delays could worsen political divisions and uncertainty.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Oaxaca region of Mexico on Saturday.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will send an upgraded ‘version 3.0’ free-trade agreement to their heads of government for approval in October, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday after regional talks in Kuala Lumpur.
Supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro gathered in São Paulo on 3 August, calling for justice reform and denouncing legal cases against the far-right leader as politically motivated.
Iran on 4 August approved the creation of a National Defence Council, following June’s brief air conflict with Israel, the country’s most serious military confrontation since the 1980s war with Iraq.
Hamas on 4 August said it is ready to coordinate with the Red Cross to deliver humanitarian aid to hostages held in Gaza, if Israel meets certain conditions, as outrage mounts over the deteriorating condition of captives and a rising death toll from hunger.
All five workers trapped underground in a collapse at Chile’s El Teniente copper mine have been found dead, regional prosecutors confirmed on 4 August, bringing the death toll to six.
At least 54 migrants have drowned and dozens remain missing after a boat carrying around 150 people sank in bad weather off southern Yemen on Sunday, according to health officials.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment