Seoul, July 21 (IANS) South Korea’s special counsel team said on Monday that it has summoned former President Yoon Suk Yeol and former first lady Kim Keon Hee to appear for questioning over allegations of election interference and other irregularities.
Special counsel Min Joong-ki’s team sent a summons to the Seoul Detention Centre, where Yoon is under arrest, to request his appearance as a suspect at 10 a.m. July 29, assistant special counsel Moon Hong-ju said during a press briefing.
The team also mailed a summons to Kim’s residence to request her appearance as a suspect at 10 a.m. on August 6, he said.
Kim is expected to be questioned about her alleged involvement in two different stock price manipulation schemes, her alleged acceptance of luxury goods from a shaman, and her alleged meddling in election nominations, according to a team official.
Yoon is also suspected of interfering in nominations for elections, Yonhap news agency reported.
Earlier on July 19, a special counsel team had indicted former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on charges of abuse of authority over his short-lived imposition of martial law.
It marked Yoon’s third indictment with detention following previous ones in January and in March related to his martial law declaration on December 3 and other power abuse charges.
According to the team led by special counsel Cho Eun-suk, Yoon is accused of violating the rights of Cabinet members during the martial law deliberation process, retroactively drafting the martial law declaration, ordering the deletion of records from encrypted phones and other offences.
On Friday, a court dismissed Yoon Suk Yeol’s petition against his arrest, keeping him in custody over his failed attempt to impose martial law.
The Seoul Central District Court issued the ruling after concluding a hearing that reviewed the legality of Yoon’s arrest and whether it should remain in place.
–IANS
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