Special Prosecutors to Summon Yoon Suk Yeol for Investigation on Abuse of Power and Rebellion Charges

The second special prosecutor team, led by Kwon Chang-young, will summon former President Yoon Suk Yeol for questioning twice next month. This investigation will focus on allegations of abuse of power related to justifying martial law and charges of rebellion under military law.

The special prosecutor's office announced on May 21 that it has requested Yoon to appear at 10 a.m. on June 6 for questioning regarding his alleged abuse of power in conveying messages justifying martial law to the National Security Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Additionally, the investigation into Yoon's alleged rebellion charges is scheduled for June 13 at 10 a.m.

The special prosecutors suspect that Yoon directed the National Security Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send messages justifying martial law to allied nations, including the United States, immediately after the declaration of martial law.

The messages reportedly included statements such as, "This action is to protect liberal democracy," and claimed that the National Assembly attempted to disrupt the constitutional order by paralyzing the executive branch through impeachment and budget cuts. The special prosecutor's office plans to investigate the circumstances surrounding the drafting and transmission of these messages.

Furthermore, the special prosecutor's team is continuing its investigation into Yoon's alleged rebellion under military law. They believe that Yoon conspired with former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former Army Chief of Staff Park An-soo, and former Army Special Warfare Command Chief Kwak Jong-geun to send armed soldiers to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission to incite a riot.

While rebellion charges typically apply to military personnel, non-military individuals who conspire with them can also be prosecuted. Yoon's legal team argues that the rebellion leader charge overlaps with existing insurrection leader charges, claiming that additional indictments would constitute double jeopardy.