SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean authorities moved Friday to hold out an unprecedented arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol over his botched try and declare martial legislation 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 had 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 had been attempting to type a “human defend” to guard him from arrest, a few of whom waved American flags in a present of assist 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, Park Jong-joon.
The Presidential Security Service instructed NBC News that it was required by legislation to guard the president, together with from anybody getting into the premises to execute warrants.
The primary opposition Democratic Party warned that Park and different members of the presidential safety element might face “extreme authorized judgment” in the event that they hindered Yoon’s arrest.
“We can’t assist however ask whether or not the Presidential Security Service is working outdoors the legislation, disregarding court-issued warrants and the judicial system of the Republic of Korea,” Cho Seung-rae, the social gathering’s chief spokesperson, stated Friday, utilizing South Korea’s formal title.
He additionally stated Choi Sang-mok, South Korea’s second performing president since Yoon’s impeachment on Dec. 14, ought to take “decisive motion” to make sure Yoon’s arrest.
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 and faces doable riot costs.
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 legislation.
The gates opened about an hour later, however giant buses obstructing the street blocked the authorities’ passenger automobiles 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 court docket issued Tuesday, is prohibited and that the Corruption Investigation Office doesn’t have complete command authority over the police.
“Objection procedures concerning 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 likely be taken towards any illegal circumstances arising in the course of the execution of this unlawful warrant.”
The warrant is a part of investigations into whether or not Yoon ought 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 towards the opposition-controlled parliament.
In a shock late-night handle on Dec. 3, he accused “anti-state forces” of paralyzing the federal government and sympathizing with communist North Korea and declared emergency martial legislation, 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 legislation declaration, he has repeatedly defied summonses to look for questioning within the felony investigation.
The short-lived martial legislation declaration has deeply shaken South Korea, which has an extended historical past of military-authoritarian rule however has since transitioned into one among Asia’s most vibrant democracies and the world’s Tenth-largest economic system.
A Gallup Korea ballot launched Dec. 13 discovered Yoon had an approval ranking of 11%, down from 19% earlier than the martial legislation declaration.
Yoon nonetheless has some supporters, nevertheless, a whole lot 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.”
Gang Sung-min stated Yoon shouldn’t be arrested and that he was protesting “to verify it doesn’t occur.”
“These actions had been carried out as an overreach from the beginning, and the investigations had been initiated unlawfully,” Gang, who’s in his 20s, stated Friday. “So I consider that the individuals can step in to dam such unlawful acts.”
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 nervous 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 combat till the top standing with you to guard our nation,” he stated. “Our nation belongs to every individual in South Korea and never a authorities or a celebration.”
The 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 utmost battle and chaos amongst his supporters by way of this message,” Cho, the social gathering spokesperson, stated Thursday. “As if orchestrating a riot 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, every 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 assist of the second impeachment movement.
After his impeachment, Yoon faces trial within the Constitutional Court, which has 180 days to determine 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 additionally impeached on Dec. 27 after he refused to instantly appoint three justices to fill vacancies on the Constitutional Court.
Choi, the previous deputy prime minister and minister of economic system and finance, took workplace two days earlier than a Jeju Air aircraft crashed within the southwest metropolis of Muan, killing 179 of the 181 individuals on board on the earth’s deadliest aviation catastrophe of 2024.
Stella Kim, Steve Patterson, Stephanie Fuerte and Beomsu Jo reported from Seoul and Jennifer Jett from Hong Kong.