SEOUL - South Korea's special counsel on Friday failed to bring in former ousted President Yoon Suk-yeol for questioning.

Independent Counsel Min Joong-ki's team said in a message that an arrest warrant against Yoon failed to be executed due to imprisoned Yoon's "stubborn refusal."

An assistant special counsel, a prosecutor, and an investigator were sent earlier in the day to the Seoul Detention Center, where Yoon has been kept in custody on insurrection charges following his short-lived martial law imposition last December.

The impeached president repeatedly defied the special counsel's summons to appear for questioning. The arrest warrant was issued on Thursday.

The ousted leader and his wife were suspected of receiving free opinion polls from self-proclaimed political broker Myung Tae-kyun ahead of the 2022 presidential election in exchange for the illegal nomination of a former People Power Party lawmaker in a parliamentary by-election later that year.

Yoon was also suspected of making false statements during the 2021 presidential primaries about his wife's alleged involvement in a stock price manipulation, which concerns an election law violation.