President Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal team said he will not appear for questioning at 10 a.m. Friday as scheduled.

Seok Dong-hyun, a member of Yoon’s defense team, said the president will not attend the planned questioning by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials(CIO).

On Thursday night, after the Seoul Central District Court dismissed Yoon’s challenge to the legality of his arrest, the CIO said it would resume the interrogation Friday morning. 

The CIO appears to have decided that additional questioning is necessary before its arrest warrant expires.

Yoon was questioned for over ten hours on Wednesday, soon after his arrest at the presidential residence, but he did not appear for Thursday’s questioning.

If Yoon does not appear for questioning Friday, the CIO is expected to request a pretrial detention warrant based on evidence it has secured.