South Korea: Special counsel questions unification minister in martial law probe

Seoul, July 20 (IANS) South Korean Special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team was questioning Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on Sunday as part of its investigation into former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed attempt to impose martial law.

Kim was summoned to the special counsel's office inside the Seoul High Prosecutors Office in southern Seoul to be questioned as a witness in the case.

The minister was one of five Cabinet members called to the presidential office on December 3, shortly before Yoon declared martial law.

He has previously testified that he sought to persuade the then president to refrain from issuing the decree, citing its potential damage to the economy and South Korea-US relations.

Earlier, a special counsel team indicted former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday on charges of abuse of authority over his short-lived imposition of martial law.

It marks 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.

The team had attempted to question Yoon multiple times since his second detention last week, but failed as Yoon declined to appear.

--IANS

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