Former President Yoon Suk-yeol refused to appear for questioning by the special prosecutor for insurrection on the 11th. Earlier, the special prosecutor requested Yoon to appear for questioning at 2 p.m. on the same day.
Yoon's legal representatives announced in a notice sent to the press on that day that "around 11:20 a.m., (the Seoul Detention Center where Yoon is held) directly delivered the original document of Yoon's absence excuse to the special prosecutor." It was reported that Yoon's side submitted an absence excuse to the Seoul Detention Center on the 10th.
In this regard, special prosecutor Park Ji-young noted in a press briefing that "Yoon submitted an excuse for absence stating he could not respond to the questioning for 'health reasons.'"
Park also mentioned, "The special prosecutor requested confirmation from the detention center on whether any health issues preventing Yoon from attending the questioning had been detected during his health check upon admission," adding, "The special prosecutor will review the materials submitted by the detention center and proceed to the next steps."
Additionally, the special prosecutor stated that they are not planning any visits to the detention center. Previously, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) had visited the detention center directly after obtaining an arrest warrant for Yoon in January when he did not respond to the summons. However, Yoon also did not comply with the visit, and therefore, no investigation could be conducted.
Park noted, "Yoon is attending the constitutional court's impeachment trial and the current public trial, which is different from the former presidents who did not respond to the summons." He added, "If one does not respond to a summons after being arrested while complying during pre-arrest detention, we have no choice but to follow the procedures defined by the Criminal Procedure Act." He also mentioned that if Yoon continues to not respond to the summons, they would consider forced summons.
Earlier, the special prosecutor demanded Yoon to appear for questioning at 2 p.m. on the 11th. This was the first summons for questioning since Yoon was arrested by the special prosecutor.
Yoon was arrested around 2 a.m. on the 10th on charges of abuse of power, forgery of official documents, and obstruction of special public duties, and is being held at the Seoul Detention Center. The special prosecutor had applied for an arrest warrant on the 6th, and on the morning of the 10th, Director General Nam Se-jin of the Seoul Central District Court issued the warrant, stating, "There is a concern of evidence destruction."
Meanwhile, Yoon submitted an excuse for absence due to 'health reasons' and did not appear in the criminal trial on insurrection charges that took place at the Seoul Central District Court starting at 10:15 a.m. on the 10th.