TOKYO, Dec 25 (KUNA) -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol failed to appear before a joint investigation team for questioning Wednesday, defying its summons for the second time over his short-lived imposition of martial law, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Yoon did not appear at the office of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, as requested by 10:00 a.m. (0100 GMT) as part of a joint investigation into his botched declaration of martial law on December 3.
Yoon, who faces charges of abuse of power and being an insurrection ringleader, has been identified as a suspect in the joint investigation of the CIO, the police and the Defense Ministry's investigation unit. He did not comply with the CIO's first summons last Wednesday.
The CIO plans to wait for Yoon's possible appearance later in the day. If he does not show up, the team is expected to decide as early as Thursday on further possible measures, such as sending a summons for the third time or seeking an arrest warrant, the report said.
On Tuesday, Seok Dong-hyeon, Yoon's lawyer, said Yoon places a priority on the Constitutional Court proceedings on his impeachment and that he plans to issue a statement on his position on the trial after Christmas Day.
The fate of Yoon's presidency has been handed to the Constitutional Court after the National Assembly impeached him on December 14. The court will hold its first pretrial hearing on Yoon's impeachment Friday. (end) mk.mt