The political chaos is compounded by the country’s worst civil aviation accident after a Jeju Air flight crashed on Sunday, killing all but two of the 181 people on board.
Yoon’s lawyer had submitted a statement to the court saying the investigation team had no legal basis to seek a warrant for the president. It’s uncertain if the investigators would manage to take the president into custody. A previous attempt by the police to search the presidential office was blocked by Yoon’s office.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok became acting president on Friday.Credit: AP
The president’s decision to repeatedly avoid questioning and challenge the investigators’ authority appears aimed at delaying the proceedings against him, says Lee Chang-hyun, a law professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
Yoon has vowed to keep defending himself, signalling his intent to fight in court to stay in office, and insists his martial law decree was within his constitutional powers. Meanwhile, a trial is ongoing to decide whether to reinstate or permanently remove Yoon from office. It has until June to decide, and the next hearing is scheduled for January 3.
Choi Sang-mok, who became acting president on Friday after Han’s impeachment, is facing a major test just two days into the job. He has declared a week-long mourning period until January 4 after the plane crash, called for a strict investigation into the incident, and ordered an emergency safety inspection of the entire airline system.
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Han was impeached for refusing to meet the opposition party’s demand to immediately appoint three judges to fill vacancies on the nine-member Constitutional Court, a move that would be likely to increase the chances of upholding Yoon’s impeachment.
Bloomberg, Reuters
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