South Korea leader reportedly refused to obey summons in martial law case

South Korea's conservative president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has reportedly failed to obey a summons from prosecutors investigating him as he faces impeachment after a botched declaration of martial law.

- Sam Jones

Yoon, who was sent a summons on Wednesday requesting him to appear for questioning at 10am local time yesterday, did not show up, according to the Yonhap news agency. Yoon and other senior officials are being investigated on possible charges of insurrection, abuse of authority and obstructing people from exercising their rights.

Yonhap said prosecutors - who are also seeking arrest warrants for senior military officials, including the head of the army special warfare command and the chief of the capital defence command - plan to issue another summons for the president.

Yoon's reported failure to appear came a day after South Korean MPs voted to impeach him over the attempt to declare martial law almost two weeks ago that plunged the country into political turmoil.

In an emergency television address to the nation late on 3 December, Yoon announced he was imposing martial law, accusing the opposition of paralysing the government with "anti-state activities".

The imposition of martial law - the first of its kind in more than four decades - lasted only six hours, and hundreds of troops and police officers sent by Yoon to the national assembly withdrew after the president's decree was overturned. No major violence occurred.