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LAWYERS representing South Korea’s impeached president said yesterday he will refuse further questioning after being detained by anti-corruption officials over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month.
President Yoon Suk Yeol maintains that the investigation into his declaration is illegal.
Mr Yoon exercised his right to remain silent as he underwent more than 10 hours of questioning on Wednesday at the headquarters of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, following a massive law enforcement operation to detain him at his official residence in Seoul.
Investigators are expected to move to place him under arrest in the coming days.
The anti-corruption agency, leading a joint investigation with the police and the military over whether Mr Yoon’s martial law declaration amounted to attempted rebellion, has 48 hours either to request a court order for his formal arrest or to release him.
President Yoon’s lawyers have argued that the detention warrant issued by the Seoul western district court is invalid and have asked the Seoul central district court to consider his release.
The clock for the arrest warrant is on hold while the court reviews his petition.
President Yoon didn’t attend a hearing at the central district court on Thursday, which was part of the review, due to security concerns, according to Seok Dong Hyeon, one of the president’s lawyers.
Hundreds of Mr Yoon’s supporters gathered in the streets near the court amid a heavy police presence, calling for his release.
Mr Yoon set off the country’s most serious political crisis since its democratisation in the late 1980s when he attempted to break through gridlock in legislation by declaring martial law and deploying troops around the National Assembly on December 3.
The stand-off lasted only hours before lawmakers managed to get through the blockade and voted to lift the measure.
His presidential powers were suspended when the opposition-dominated assembly voted to impeach him on December 14, accusing him of rebellion.
