AFP
A vehicle carrying impeached South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol (center) leaves the complex building housing the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) in Gwacheon on January 15, 2025.
South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol faced renewed questioning Thursday, a day after his dramatic arrest over a failed martial law declaration, but his lawyers said he would not take part.
The Constitutional Court was also to hold its second hearing in a trial that will decide whether to uphold Yoon's impeachment, after the dawn raid that made him the country's first-ever sitting president to be detained.
The former star prosecutor — facing charges of insurrection — was questioned for hours Wednesday but exercised his right to remain silent before being moved to a detention center.
Investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) were to resume Yoon's questioning Thursday at 2pm local time (5am GMT), but his lawyer said he could not for health reasons, the Yonhap news agency reported.
"President Yoon is not well and fully explained his position yesterday so there is nothing more to be interrogated about," Yoon Kab-keun told Yonhap, an apparent reference to his Wednesday decision to not answer questions.
Lawyer Yoon confirmed to AFP the embattled leader would not attend, without specifying the reason.
CIO officials declined to comment.
Wednesday's dramatic arrest saw a hundreds-strong force of police and investigators bypass bus barricades, cut barbed wire and scale ladders to get inside the compound where Yoon was surrounded by hundreds of guards.
Yoon said Wednesday he complied with investigators to avoid "bloodshed" but did not accept the legality of the investigation.
Meanwhile, officials were trying to secure a new warrant that could hold him for longer than 48 hours.
South Korea's opposition Democratic Party celebrated Yoon's detention, while the parliament speaker said it was time to stabilize the country after weeks of turmoil.
Yoon's lawyers have instead filed for a review of the warrant that was used to arrest him.
