SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean authorities moved Friday to hold out an unprecedented arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched attempt to declare martial law in a dramatic standoff on the presidential residence the place Yoon has been staying since he was impeached final month.
Police arriving on the presidential residence in central Seoul have been confronted by Yoon’s safety element, which has beforehand blocked investigators from looking out his workplace and official residence.
They additionally confronted a rising crowd of Yoon’s conservative supporters outdoors the residence who have been making an attempt to type a “human defend” to guard him from arrest, a few of whom waved American flags in a present of help for the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
Two hours into the standoff, officers stated the police particular drive escorting investigators had reached the presidential safety element closest to the constructing that accommodates Yoon. They stated about an hour later that the arrest warrant had been served to the presidential safety chief.
The Presidential Security Service informed NBC News that it was required by regulation to guard the president, together with from anybody coming into the premises to execute warrants.
Though Yoon, 64, isn’t the primary South Korean president to be impeached, he can be the East Asian democracy’s first sitting president to be arrested. He has been suspended from presidential duties since he was impeached on Dec. 14 and faces potential riot prices.
Authorities from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, which is main a joint group of investigators from the police and prosecutor’s workplace, arrived on the metal gates of the presidential residence simply after 7 a.m. native time (5 p.m. Thursday ET), a month to the day after Yoon’s short-lived declaration of martial law.
The gates opened about an hour later, however giant buses obstructing the highway blocked the authorities’ passenger vehicles from advancing. Investigators moved into the compound on foot with out obvious resistance.
Yoon’s legal professionals say that the warrant to arrest Yoon and search the presidential workplace and residence, which a courtroom issued Tuesday, is unlawful and that the Corruption Investigation Office doesn’t have complete command authority over the police.
“Objection procedures relating to the warrant are underway within the Constitutional Court and the common courts,” one among Yoon’s legal professionals, Yoon Kap-geun, stated by textual content message Friday. “Legal actions will probably be taken in opposition to any illegal circumstances arising through the execution of this unlawful warrant.”
The warrant is a part of investigations into whether or not Yoon needs to be charged with riot, one of many few crimes for which South Korean presidents wouldn’t have immunity. Officials have till Monday to execute the warrant.
Yoon, who took workplace in 2022 for a single five-year time period, has struggled to advance his legislative agenda in opposition to the opposition-controlled parliament.
In a surprise late-night address on Dec. 3, he accused “anti-state forces” of paralyzing the federal government and sympathizing with communist North Korea and declared emergency martial regulation, which included a ban on all political exercise.
He lifted the order about six hours later after lawmakers voted unanimously to reject it.
Though Yoon has apologized for the martial regulation declaration, he has repeatedly defied summonses to appear for questioning within the felony investigation.
The short-lived martial regulation declaration has deeply shaken South Korea, which has a long history of military-authoritarian rule however has since transitioned into one among Asia’s most vibrant democracies and the world’s Tenth-largest financial system.
A Gallup Korea poll launched Dec. 13 discovered Yoon had an approval score of 11%, down from 19% earlier than the martial regulation declaration.
Yoon nonetheless has some supporters, nevertheless, a whole bunch of whom have gathered outdoors the presidential residence in latest days. Some waving American flags argued that Yoon’s conservative authorities was extra supportive of the U.S. alliance than the liberal opposition, which they accused of being friendlier towards China and North Korea.
Others held indicators adopting a slogan related to President-elect Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud in 2020, “Stop the Steal.”
“He has been wrongfully impeached,” protester Cho Soo-young stated Thursday, including that Yoon was “making an attempt to guard and protect freedom and liberal democracy in South Korea.”
In a letter to the protesters late Wednesday, Yoon stated he had been watching their efforts through YouTube.
“Thank you a lot and I really feel unhappy,” he wrote, including that he fearful for his or her well being within the bitterly chilly climate.
Yoon, who was as soon as the nation’s chief prosecutor, stated South Korea was in “hazard” due to efforts by “anti-state forces” inside and out of doors the nation “to steal the sovereignty of this nation.”
“I’ll struggle till the tip standing with you to guard our nation,” he stated. “Our nation belongs to each particular person in South Korea and never a authorities or a celebration.”
The foremost opposition Democratic Party stated Yoon’s message to supporters was “extremely inappropriate” and “demonstrates that he stays trapped in his delusions.”
“Most regarding is his incitement of maximum battle and chaos amongst his supporters by means of this message,” Cho Seung-rae, the get together’s chief spokesperson, stated Thursday. “As if orchestrating a rise up was not sufficient, he’s now stirring his followers to impress excessive clashes and dysfunction.”
South Korean lawmakers voted to question Yoon on their second attempt, per week after the primary vote on Dec. 7 failed when lawmakers from Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) boycotted it. Twelve PPP lawmakers voted in help of the second impeachment movement.
After his impeachment, Yoon faces trial within the Constitutional Court, which has 180 days to resolve whether or not to substantiate it. A second listening to was set for Friday.
If Yoon is faraway from workplace, a presidential by-election have to be held inside 60 days.
In the meantime, Yoon has been suspended from presidential duties, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo initially turned performing president. Han was within the job for lower than two weeks earlier than he was also impeached on Dec. 27 after he refused to instantly appoint three justices to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court.
He was succeeded as performing president by Choi Sang-mok, the previous deputy prime minister and minister of financial system and finance. Choi took workplace two days earlier than a Jeju Air plane crashed within the southwest metropolis of Muan, killing 179 of the 181 folks on board on this planet’s deadliest aviation catastrophe of 2024.
Stella Kim, Steve Patterson, Stephanie Fuerte and Beomsu Jo reported from Seoul and Jennifer Jett from Hong Kong.
