Seoul, Sep 23 (IANS) South Korea's former President Yoon Suk Yeol has notified correctional officials he will not appear before a special counsel team for questioning later this week, officials said on Tuesday. On Saturday, special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team summoned the jailed former president to appear for questioning on Wednesday over allegations related to his short-lived martial law declaration in December, Yonhap News Agency reported. "I understand that former President Yoon verbally informed a detention centre officer of his nonappearance," assistant special counsel Park Ji-young said in a briefing. "(We) will see if he actually does not appear tomorrow and then consider whether to summon him again."

Cho's team had been expected to use this week's session to question Yoon about allegations that he ordered a drone dispatch to Pyongyang last October to allegedly provoke North Korea and justify his martial law declaration. The team has so far only questioned military officials about the operation, with Saturday's summons marking the first time investigators have asked Yoon to appear for questioning over the allegations. Yoon, who has remained in custody at Seoul Detention Centre in Uiwang, just south of the capital, since July, has been standing trial on charges of leading an insurrection and abusing his power through the martial law bid.

Meanwhile, a Seoul court will hold a hearing on Yoon's request for bail later this week, legal sources said on Tuesday. The hearing will be held at the Seoul Central District Court at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, after Yoon filed for bail last week, citing his right to defend himself and issues with his health. The former president has been standing trial on charges of leading an insurrection through his martial law attempt, and a second trial on separate charges of violating the rights of Cabinet members and creating a revised proclamation after the martial law declaration is set to begin on Friday.

The bail hearing is expected to take place immediately after the first hearing of the second trial. Last week, legal sources said that Yoon Suk Yeol has requested to be released on bail, citing the need to prepare his defence and health concerns. The application was filed on September 19 with the Seoul Central District Court, which is handling charges against him for obstruction of duties and abuse of authority. A date for the bail hearing has not yet been set, Yonhap News Agency reported.