South Korea's anti-corruption agency sent investigators to execute an arrest warrant against impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol as hundreds of his supporters gathered at his Seoul residence, vowing to block their approach.
Investigators from the Office of Corruption Investigation for High-Level Officials were seen loading boxes into several vehicles and then leaving a building in Gwacheon city early Friday. The office did not immediately confirm how many investigators had been dispatched.
A Seoul court issued an arrest warrant for Yoon after he refused repeated requests to appear for questioning and blocked searches of his Seoul office, hampering an investigation into whether his brief takeover on December 3 amounted to a sedition.
Thousands of police officers gathered at Yoon's residence. There are no immediate reports of clashes with protesters.
If Yoon is detained, the anti-corruption agency will have 48 hours to investigate him and apply for a formal arrest warrant or release him. Defense Minister Yoon, the police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested for their roles in imposing martial law.
It was unclear whether the president would cooperate with authorities trying to detain him. In a defiant New Year's message to conservative supporters gathering outside, Yoon said he would “fight to the end” against “anti-state forces.”
Yoon's lawyers argued that the court's arrest warrant was invalid, saying the anti-corruption agency had no legal authority to investigate the sedition allegations. They also accuse the court of circumventing a law that states that places potentially linked to military secrets cannot be occupied or searched without the consent of the person responsible.
Oh Dong-woon, the agency's chief prosecutor, indicated that police forces could be deployed if Yoon's security services resist the arrest attempt.
However, Yoon's legal team issued a statement Thursday warning that any attempt by the agency to use police units to detain him would exceed the agency's authority. Lawyers said police officers could face arrest by “the presidential security service or any citizens” if they tried to detain Yoon. They did not explain the content of the claim in more detail.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday defended his short-lived martial law decree last week, saying it was an act of governance aimed at defending the county's liberal democracy and constitutional order against a liberal opposition party that he says threatens the constitution.
South Korean law allows anyone to make an arrest to stop an active crime, and critics accused Yoon of inciting his supporters to obstruct efforts to apprehend him.
Presidential lawyer Yoon Kap-keun filed a complaint in Seoul's Western District Court on Thursday, blocking both Yoon Suk Yeol's arrest warrant and a related search warrant for his residence. The lawyer argued that both orders violated criminal law and the constitution.
The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which led to the legislative vote impeaching the president on December 14 over his imposition of martial law, accused the leader of trying to mobilize his supporters to block his detention and called on law enforcement agencies to immediately execute the order. .
Despite freezing temperatures, thousands of Yoon's supporters gathered for hours Thursday near his residence amid a heavy police presence, waving South Korean and American flags and chanting “Repeal the impeachment!” and “We will protect President Yoon Suk Yeol!” Officers removed some protesters who lay down on the road leading to the entrance to Yoon's residence, but there were no immediate reports of major clashes.
Some experts believe that the anti-corruption agency, which is conducting a joint investigation with police and military authorities, would not risk a clash with Yoon's security services, which have said they will ensure Yoon's safety in accordance with the law. Instead, the office may issue Yoon another summons for questioning if it is unable to execute the arrest warrant by January 6.
Political confusion
Yoon's presidential powers were suspended after the National Assembly voted on December 14 to impeach him over his imposition of martial law. Although it lasted only hours, it triggered weeks of political turmoil, halted high-level diplomacy and rocked financial markets. Yoon's fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun considering whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove or reinstate him.
To formally end Yoon's presidency, at least six judges of the nine-member Constitutional Court must vote in favor of his acceptance.
Last week, the National Assembly also voted to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who became acting president after Yoon's powers were suspended, over his unwillingness to fill three vacancies on the Constitutional Court before the court reconsiders Yoon's case.
Members of South Korea's People's Power Party surrounded the podium of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik after parliament passed a motion to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's acting president.
Amid mounting pressure, the new acting president, Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, appointed two new judges on Tuesday, a move that could increase the chances of the court upholding Yoon's impeachment.
Cho Han-chang, one of the newly appointed judges, said Thursday that he began his job with a “heavy heart.” Jeong Gye-seon, the other new judge, expressed hope that the remaining vacancy would be filled.
Yoon's imposition of martial law ended after just six hours, when the National Assembly voted 190-0 to end it, despite attempts by heavily armed soldiers to prevent them from voting.
Yoon defended his martial law decree as a necessary act of governance, portraying it as a temporary warning against the Democratic Party, which he described as an “anti-state” force obstructing his agenda with a legislative majority.