Yoon rejects the CIO’s second summons

President Yoon Suk Yeol has declined a second summons from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) over allegations related to the illegal proclamation of martial law on December 3. The CIO announced it would review Yoon's reasons for non-appearance before considering coercive measures, including seeking an arrest warrant.

President Yoon’s legal representative, Seok Dong-hyeon, told reporters on Tuesday that attending the scheduled session on Wednesday would be difficult. “We believe the current circumstances do not allow for [his attendance],” Seok said, emphasizing Yoon’s position that the impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court takes precedence over the investigation. This reiterates Yoon’s earlier stance that he would prioritize the impeachment process.

The CIO issued a first summons for Yoon to appear at 10 a.m. last Wednesday, which was ignored. A second summons for Wednesday was labeled as a “final notice.” Should Yoon’s reasons for noncompliance be deemed inadequate, the agency plans to file for an arrest warrant.

Separately, Yoon’s administration has reportedly failed to submit requested materials to the Constitutional Court, including minutes from cabinet meetings and martial law decrees, despite a December 24 deadline. Critics argue that Yoon’s repeated refusal to accept court documents—reportedly rejecting delivery notifications at least 11 times—and failure to submit evidence could be seen as deliberate delays in the impeachment proceedings. However, the Constitutional Court has confirmed it will proceed with its first pretrial hearing as scheduled on Friday, regardless of the material submission status.


최미송 기자 cms@donga.com