Seoul - Saba:
Lawyers for former South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol announced that their client will appear before the Special Prosecutor's Office on Saturday, despite their protest against the public nature of the case. The session, considering that the invitation to question him in front of the media violates his rights and aims to humiliate him.
The lawyers stated in an official statement that "the investigation is politically motivated and filled with lies and distortions," stressing that Yoon "will refute the accusations and tell the truth."
Last December, the issue of Yoon's attempted declaration of martial law erupted, a move that shook public opinion in South Korea, which prides itself on its transformation into a "democratic state after decades of military rule."
Following mounting public outrage, the Constitutional Court issued a decision to remove the president from office last April, upholding the impeachment previously approved by parliament.
The special prosecutor attempted to obtain an arrest warrant for Yoon after he ignored repeated summonses, but the court rejected the request this week after he expressed a willingness to cooperate.
Yoon was arrested last January after resisting a court order to detain him. He was later released after 52 days on legal grounds.
The former president is on trial for planning to declare martial law on December 3. A special team of more than 200 prosecutors and investigators has been handling the case since the special prosecutor was appointed in June 2025.
The Yoon Suk-yeol case highlights the fragility of democratic institutions in the face of political crises, amid growing questions about the independence of the judiciary and justice in South Korea.
| more of (International) |