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Yoon, ex-defense minister and unification minister still no-show for police questioning

Published: 20 Dec. 2024, 17:24 Updated: 20 Dec. 2024, 17:48

MICHAEL LEE
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Police investigators walk away from the entry to the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, after being turned away by the presidential security service. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Police said Friday that they have questioned nine out of 12 government officials, including acting President Han Duck-soo, who attended the Dec. 3 Cabinet meeting where President Yoon Suk Yeol announced his plan to declare martial law.

According to the police task force that is responsible for probing Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law, the only three attendees who have yet to submit to questioning are Yoon, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Unification Minister Kim Young-ho.

The task force noted that the unification minister had only presented himself for questioning by the state prosecution service despite repeated police summons.

The defense minister is currently being investigated in the custody of the prosecution service, which obtained a warrant for his arrest on Dec. 11.

According to information released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Cabinet met for five minutes at the presidential office from 10:17 p.m. to 10:22 p.m. on Dec. 3.

Three other Cabinet members besides Yoon, Han and the former defense minister have been reported to the police on suspicion of plotting an insurrection.

They are former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, Justice Minister Park Sung-jae and National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong.

BY MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]