Seoul: A Seoul court has accepted a request from a special counsel team investigating former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law case to summon Han Dong-hoon, a former leader of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), to be questioned in court as a witness later this month, legal sources said Friday. The decision followed Han's repeated refusal to comply with requests from special counsel Cho Eun-suk's team for his appearance.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul Central District Court has issued a summons for Han to appear on September 23, aligning with the special counsel team's demands. Former PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho was also informed of the schedule. Should Han fail to attend, the court may impose a fine of up to 5 million won (US$3,600).

Han, who was leading the ruling PPP during the martial law declaration on December 3, is seen as a pivotal figure in the special counsel's investigation into alleged insurrection charges. Meanwhile, Choo, who was then the PPP floor leader, faces accusations of obstructing lawmakers from participating in a vote to rescind Yoon's martial law declaration. He allegedly did so by frequently changing the venue of an emergency meeting that night at Yoon's behest.

In a separate development, the court is set to hold a hearing to decide on issuing an arrest warrant for PPP Representative Kweon Seong-dong. This follows the National Assembly's approval of a motion for his arrest on bribery charges on Thursday. Last month, a different special counsel investigating allegations related to former first lady Kim Keon Hee requested the warrant. Kweon is accused of accepting 100 million won in illegal political funds from a former Unification Church official in 2022 in exchange for supporting the church.