Ex-President Yoon snubs special counsel summons again in martial law probe

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol attends a hearing at the Central District Court in Seoul, Sept. 26. Joint Press Corps

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday failed to appear before a special counsel team for questioning again over allegations related to his short-lived imposition of martial law in December.

Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team earlier summoned Yoon for questioning over allegations of attempting to incite foreign aggression after he snubbed their previous summons last week.

Yoon remained unresponsive to the team's latest summons, failing to submit any documentation over his nonappearance, according to assistant special counsel Park Ji-young.

"As with any ordinary suspect who refuses a special counsel summons, (we) will take (further measures) in line with the Criminal Procedure Act," she said.

Her remarks suggested that special prosecutors could consider forcibly bringing him in for questioning.

The team had been expected to question Yoon over allegations that he ordered the dispatch of drones to North Korea last October to incite its retaliation and use it as justification for his future declaration of martial law.

Meanwhile, Yoon's lawyers demanded a court file for a constitutional review of the legality of the special probe bill.

Yoon, who is already standing trial on charges of leading an insurrection through his failed attempt to impose martial law in December, faces another trial on charges of violating the rights of Cabinet members, revising the martial law proclamation and obstructing his detention by investigators in January.

In a request to the court handling his second trial, his lawyers argued that the special probe bill violates constitutional principles of due process, separation of powers and clarity, and infringes upon the right to a fair trial.

If the court decides to request a constitutional review, the Constitutional Court will accept it and begin the review process. The trial in question is suspended until the Constitutional Court reaches a decision.

Earlier, Yoon took similar action in the court overseeing the insurrection charges, requesting a constitutional review of the special probe bill.