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By Lilith Foster-Collins
News Reporter
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South Korea's impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has defied requests from investigators to appear for questioning over his martial law decree, while the Constitutional Court began deliberating Monday on whether to formally remove or reinstate him.
A coalition of agencies, including the police, the anti-corruption bureau, and the Defense Ministry, is pursuing charges of rebellion and abuse of power against Yoon.
The charges stem from his Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, which opposition leaders have described as an unprecedented power grab.
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On Monday, officials attempted to deliver a summons to Yoon at his office and residence, but his aides reportedly refused to accept it.
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Investigators said they had also sent the request via mail, and declined to outline next steps if the impeached president continues to resist questioning.
Yoon has also ignored a separate request for an interview from prosecutors, who are conducting their own investigation.
Constitutional Court to Decide Whether to Remove Yoon
The president issued a martial law decree on Dec. 3, which caused nationwide political turmoil. However, the turmoil lasted only six hours after the country's Parliament voted to block the decree.
Yoon survived a first impeachment vote after most of his ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted it, but on Saturday the country's National Assembly voted by 204 to 85 to impeach Yoon and suspend his powers and duties.
At least 200,000 people had gathered outside Parliament in support of removing the president.
The impeachment suspended his presidential powers and transferred leadership to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
The Constitutional Court is tasked with determining whether to uphold Yoon's impeachment or reinstate him.
If removed, South Korea will hold a national election to select a new president within 60 days.
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In its first meeting on Monday, the court began outlining procedures for the case, with a pretrial hearing scheduled for Dec. 27.
While the court has 180 days to rule, analysts suggest a decision could come much sooner.
Similar cases in the past—such as the impeachment of Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and Park Geun-hye in 2016—took 63 and 91 days, respectively.
A unanimous decision among the court's six current justices is required to formally remove Yoon from office, as three seats remain vacant.
Officials have indicated the court is working to fill those vacancies by the end of December.
Public Protests
Yoon's imposition of martial law has sparked massive protests in Seoul, where hundreds of thousands have taken to the streets calling for his removal and arrest.
Critics argue that Yoon's actions violated South Korea's constitutional limits on presidential authority.
The political turmoil has deepened fractures within the PPP, with divisions between Yoon loyalists and critics threatening the party's unity.
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has emerged as a leading contender to replace Yoon, should the impeachment be upheld.
Lee narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election and has been a vocal critic of his administration.
South Korea in Economic and Political Crisis
Yoon's impeachment has paralyzed South Korea's political and economic agenda, stalling key diplomatic initiatives and efforts to stabilize a faltering economy.
Prime Minister Han and other government officials are working to reassure markets and international allies of the country's stability amid the crisis.
"The court will swiftly and fairly make a decision," Constitutional Court justice Kim Hyungdu told reporters Monday.
He explained Monday's court meeting was meant to discuss preparatory procedures and how to arrange arguments at formal trials.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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