Explainer-What do we know about investigations faced by South Korean President Yoon?

By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, several cabinet ministers, military commanders and police officials face criminal investigations over the president’s botched attempt on Dec. 3 to impose martial law.

Prosecutors, the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials have all launched probes into Yoon and the officials, seeking to pursue charges of insurrection and abuse of power, among others.

Here is what we know about the investigations so far: 

WHO IS UNDER INVESTIGATION? 

Besides Yoon, his former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, former interior minister Lee Sang-min and army chief Park An-su, who was named martial law commander, face investigations. 

Others involved in the case include the chiefs of the Capital Defence Command, the army’s Special Warfare Command and the Defence Counterintelligence Command, as well as several other military generals and senior police officials, including the national and Seoul police chiefs, who are accused of playing a role in the martial law plan. 

The main opposition Democratic Party said last week that it has also filed a complaint against acting President Han Duck-soo to be included in the investigations for failing to block Yoon’s attempt at martial law. 

Yoon, Kim, Lee, the national and Seoul police chiefs and more than 10 military commanders have been banned from leaving the country. 

A joint investigation team from the police, the defence ministry and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) plan to call Yoon in for questioning at 10 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Wednesday, after he defied prosecutors’ summons over the weekend.

Kim has been refusing to attend prosecutors’ questioning, after being summoned at least three times since his arrest on Dec. 8, according to the Yonhap news agency. 

The joint investigation team was trying to raid Yoon’s office on Tuesday, after previous attempts by prosecutors failed after the presidential security service blocked their entrance, Yonhap said.

There have also been raids of the defence ministry and various military and police offices in recent days. Several military commanders were arrested, including chiefs of the Army, the Defence Counterintelligence Command and the Capital Defence Command.

WHO LEADS INVESTIGATIONS? 

The Supreme Prosecutors’ Office has created a special investigation bureau to examine the case for the first time since it probed a 2016 corruption scandal engulfing then-President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached and eventually ousted. 

The team consists of some 50 prosecutors and investigators, and about a dozen military prosecutors have also been drafted in, its head Park Se-hyun said.

The national police agency has also confirmed the launch of its investigation, which Yonhap said includes some 150 officers and investigators.

The CIO separately opened an investigation after receiving complaints about national police chief Cho Ji-ho and other senior police officials.

The three-way joint team came amid growing concerns about signs of rivalry among probing agencies and calls for concerted efforts to prevent overlaps and boost effectiveness.

CIO head Oh Dong-woon said on Wednesday that talks with prosecutors were under way on how to integrate their work but any quick conclusion appeared unlikely.

The parliament passed bills last week for the appointment of special counsels to spearhead a collective investigation with support from other agencies. 

WHAT CHARGES ARE SOUGHT?  

The officials face potential charges of insurrection, abuse of authority and obstructing other people from exercising their rights. 

If convicted, the crime of leading an insurrection is punishable by death or life imprisonment, with or without prison labour. For those who participated in an insurrection plot or engaged in other essential activities punishment could range from death to life imprisonment down to imprisonment without prison labour for at least five years. People who merely joined in the plot or violence face imprisonment, with or without prison labour, for less than five years.

Abuse of authority brings penalties of imprisonment for less than five years or fines of up to 10 million won ($7,000), while obstructing other people’s rights is punishable by a prison term of less than five years or fines of up to 7 million won. 

South Korea last handed down a death sentence in 2016, but has not executed anyone since 1997. 

(Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Alex Richardson, Ros Russell and Michael Perry)