Meanwhile, South Korea's President Is Being Investigated For Military Emergency

Han Duck-soo/PHOTO via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - The South Korean police on Friday said they had questioned Ad Interim President Han Duck-soo regarding his role in a military emergency statement by President Yoon Suk Yeol in early December.

Han was one of nine people questioned by the police regarding their presence at a cabinet meeting held by Yoon moments before Yoon declared martial law on December 3.

Based on the South Korean police statement, the investigation was known to be the first time that Han was involved in an investigation into the military emergency declaration.

"Of the 12 people who attended the cabinet meeting, we have examined nine people other than President Yoon Suk Yeol, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, and Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho," a police official said.

"Although the police repeatedly summoned the person concerned, the unification minister actually responded to the prosecutor's summons and underwent examination there," said the official.

Meanwhile, an official at the Prime Minister's Office stated that a police investigation into Han Duck-soo took place "before he became interim president", implying that it happened before Saturday (14/12).

Han officially served as interim president on Saturday, after Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment motion was approved by parliament so he was suspended from his presidency.

"(Han) is fully involved in the ongoing investigation," the official said.

The South Korean Police are working with the Corruption Investigation Office of High Officials (CIO) and the Ministry of Defense for a joint investigation team against Yoon Suk Yeol and other parties involved in a military emergency.

Yoon is accused of trying to trigger an uprising and abuse his authority by declaring martial law and allegedly mobilizing armed forces to the National Assembly building to prevent lawmakers from revoking martial law.

The South Korean prosecutor's office is also conducting its own investigation into the case. However, they handed over the authority to investigate Yoon and former interior minister, Lee Sang-min, to the joint investigative team earlier this week.