Investigation Unit To Ask Yoon To Appear For Questioning Wednesday In Martial Law Probe 

SEOUL, Dec 16 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- South Korea's joint investigation unit into the martial law turmoil said Monday it will ask President Yoon Suk Yeol to appear for questioning this week over his failed attempt to impose the decree earlier this month.

According to Yonhap news agency, the joint team between the police, the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and the defence ministry's investigation unit said it would ask for Yoon's presence before it on Wednesday on charges of insurrection and abuse of power.

In the joint unit's request, Yoon is reportedly being accused of being the ringleader of an insurrection in connection with his martial law declaration on Dec 3.

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Yoon was suspended from his duties Saturday after the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against him over the decree.

A day earlier, Yoon rejected a request from prosecutors to appear for questioning on Sunday as part of their separate investigation into the martial law declaration.

Yoon reportedly refused the prosecution's request as he has yet to hire his legal representatives. Prosecutors plan to ask Yoon to appear before them again on Monday.

If Yoon continues to defy the requests for questioning, prosecutors or the joint investigation team may seek a court-issued arrest warrant for him.

Investigations into the martial law declaration have picked up pace as multiple officials allegedly involved in the incident have been arrested, including former Defence Minister Kim Yong-Hyun and the head of the Defence Counter Intelligence Command.

The CIO, the police and the defence ministry decided to launch the joint investigation unit last Wednesday to integrate their investigations.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP