YOON REFUSES TO TESTIFY, MAKING HISTORY AS FIRST S KOREAN PRESIDENT TAKEN INTO CUSTODY

SEOUL, Jan 15 (Bernama-Yonhap) -- In a historic turn of events, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol failed to testify during a critical questioning session on Wednesday, making him the first sitting president in the nation's history to be taken into custody for questioning, Yonhap news agency reported.

Yoon’s detention follows a dramatic series of events in which he ignored multiple requests from law enforcement authorities to appear, culminating in his arrest over charges of leading an insurrection.

The charges override his presidential immunity from prosecution, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing political crisis sparked by his controversial attempt to impose martial law in December.

The 15th of January comes just 43 days after Yoon’s martial law proposal triggered unprecedented political upheaval. His failure to comply with three previous summonses for questioning over the matter only led to further confrontation with authorities.

Earlier this month, an initial attempt to detain Yoon was thwarted after an hours-long standoff with the Presidential Security Service on January 3. Undeterred, investigators persisted, and a court issued a warrant for his arrest 15 days ago.

At 11 am Wednesday, Yoon was taken to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) in Gwacheon, south of Seoul, where he was questioned. However, Yoon refused to testify during the session.

The CIO has 48 hours to decide whether to seek a court-issued arrest warrant for Yoon.

In a pre-recorded video message, Yoon expressed concerns about the country’s rule of law, lamenting its collapse and stating that he agreed to appear before investigators to avoid violent confrontations between his security personnel and the authorities.

“Although it is an illegal investigation, I decided to comply to prevent ugly bloodshed,” he said.

Yoon’s legal team has challenged the arrest warrant, claiming it was issued by a court in the wrong jurisdiction, and questioned the legal authority of the investigative team.

Suspended from office since his impeachment by the National Assembly on December 14, Yoon is facing serious charges, including insurrection and abuse of power.

-- BERNAMA-YONHAP