South Korea’s prosecution service has issued a second summons for President Yoon Suk-yeol to testify in the investigation into his declaration of martial law earlier this month, warning that if he fails to appear before December 21st, they will consider seeking an arrest warrant.

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The special team investigating the events of December 3rd sent the summons on Monday, Yonhap news agency reported Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

This second request follows the president’s failure to appear for questioning on Sunday, after receiving the initial summons on December 11th.

If Yoon attends, he would be the first South Korean president to appear before investigators while still in office. Similarly, if the prosecution decides to seek an arrest warrant, he could become the first sitting president of the Asian country to be arrested.

#Gravitas | South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment came swiftly. Just 11 days after his failed attempt to impose martial law, the National Assembly voted to remove him. Many believe his real aim was shielding his wife from legal troubles.@mollygambhir tells you more pic.twitter.com/eFjKVLpjG3

— WION (@WIONews) December 16, 2024

Yoon was impeached on Saturday by parliament, with at least 12 deputies from his ruling conservative People Power Party (PPP) voting in favor. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is currently serving as acting president.

However, his future depends on the Constitutional Court’s decision. The court has up to six months to determine whether the president violated the constitution by implementing martial law and, therefore, whether his impeachment should be upheld or if he should be reinstated.

Concurrently, a joint team – composed of the Police, the High-Ranking Officials Anti-Corruption Office, and the Ministry of Defense’s investigative unit – investigating Yoon separately, sent him a summons yesterday to appear for another interrogation on Wednesday.

Yoon, who has been barred from leaving the country, along with other members of his cabinet – including former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who remains in pre-trial detention – and high-ranking military and police officials, are being investigated for alleged crimes of mutiny, abuse of power, and insurrection.

Insurrection is the most serious charge and could lead to Yoon’s arrest, as even presidential immunity does not apply in such cases. For those considered leaders of an insurrection, the penalty is life imprisonment or the death penalty (though there has been a moratorium on capital punishment in South Korea since 1997).

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