South Korea: Ex-President Yoon submits opinion on nonappearance for police questioning

Seoul, June 11 South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol submitted an opinion to the police on Wednesday, explaining his planned nonappearance for questioning over martial law-related charges later this week.

In the document submitted by his lawyer, Yun Gap-geun, the former president claimed the summons for questioning on Thursday had no legal basis as the charges against him were not factually accurate.

Yoon has been booked on charges of ordering the Presidential Security Service (PSS) to block the execution of a detention warrant against him in early January.

He has also been booked on charges of ordering the PSS to delete records from secure phones used by three military commanders shortly after his attempt to impose martial law on December 3 failed, Yonhap news agency reported.

"The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials' attempt to execute the detention warrant was an illegal and invalid execution of duty," the opinion said. "There must first be an investigation into possible illegalities in the execution of the detention warrant at the time and into the complaints filed against those involved in the warrant execution."

Yoon defied a previous summons to appear for questioning on June 5, according to police.

Earlier on June 10, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung promulgated bills mandating special counsel probes into a botched martial law bid by former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and corruption allegations against his wife, former first lady Kim Keon Hee.

Lee signed off on three bills in his first legislation since taking office last week, which also calls for a special counsel probe into the drowning death of a Marine during a rescue operation for flood victims in 2023.

The bills were approved at a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day.

Lee expressed hope that the special counsel investigations will transparently uncover the truths behind the related allegations, according to the presidential office.

"Lee's enactment of the three special counsel bills, the first since taking office, was intended to meet the public's expectations for addressing insurrection charges and restoring constitutional order, as reflected in the presidential election," presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung told reporters.

The probes would add legal pressure on Yoon, who was removed from office in April and is now on trial for charges of leading insurrection and abuse of power related to martial law.

One of the bills targeting Yoon mandates a permanent special counsel to investigate 11 charges, including insurrection and military mutiny, over his failed martial law bid in December.

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