South Korea's ex-President Yoon absent from insurrection trial for 15th consecutive session

Seoul, Oct 20 (IANS) Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was absent from his insurrection trial for the 15th consecutive session on Monday.

The Bench at the Seoul Central District Court proceeded with the trial in his absence, noting there was no change to his voluntary nonattendance and the Seoul Detention Centre's inability to bring him in by force, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Yoon has not appeared at his trial since he was placed under arrest for a second time in July. He is being tried on charges of leading an insurrection and abusing his power through his failed imposition of martial law in December.

The former President did, however, appear at the first hearing of his second trial on martial law-related charges in September, as well as at a hearing on his request for bail.

Monday's hearing was scheduled to hear testimony from Col. Kim Hyun-tae, former head of the Army Special Warfare Command's 707th Special Mission Group, who has claimed he was ordered to seal off and secure the National Assembly after Yoon declared martial law on December 3.

On October 15, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol voluntarily appeared before a special counsel team and underwent questioning before investigators executed a warrant to bring him in by force.

The jailed former President was interrogated at special counsel Cho Eun-suk's office about allegations related to his failed imposition of martial law, assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said during a Press briefing.

He did not respond to any questions, however, exercising his right to remain silent.

"Former President Yoon Suk Yeol stated his position fully during the first and second rounds of questioning with regard to key questions from the special counsel, and is refusing to testify in response to all further questions," his lawyers said in a notice to the Press.

Yoon was questioned twice in June and July, before he was placed under arrest a second time on July 10. Between then and October 15, he had ignored all summonses by special counsel teams investigating various allegations surrounding him and his wife, Kim Keon Hee.

--IANS

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