Ex-President Yoon rejects special counsel summons for questioning this week

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol keeps mum upon arrival at the Seoul Central District Court, July 9, to attend a hearing on his potential arrest over charges related to his failed attempt to impose martial law. Yonhap

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol has notified correctional officials he will not appear before a special counsel team for questioning later this week, officials said Tuesday.

On Saturday, special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team summoned the jailed former president to appear for questioning Wednesday over allegations related to his short-lived martial law declaration in December.

"I understand that former President Yoon verbally informed a detention center officer of his nonappearance," assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said in a briefing. "(We) will see if he actually does not appear tomorrow and then consider whether to summon him again."

Cho's team had been expected to use this week's session to question Yoon about allegations that he ordered a drone dispatch to Pyongyang last October to allegedly provoke North Korea and justify his martial law declaration.

The team has so far only questioned military officials about the operation, with Saturday's summons marking the first time investigators have asked Yoon to appear for questioning over the allegations.

Yoon, who has remained in custody at Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang, just south of the capital, since July, has been standing trial on charges of leading an insurrection and abusing his power through the martial law bid.