Investigation by authorities suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived at his residence on Wednesday in a second attempt to detain him over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month.
Police have deployed about 3,200 officers to the president’s sprawling estate in Seoul, where he has been in hiding for weeks while surrounded by personal security guards, according to Reuters.
Video shows officers approaching Yoon’s home. according to Reuterswhere hundreds of his supporters had already gathered to protest on his behalf. Earlier they were reportedly seen pushing through a group of them.
South Korea’s deposed president avoids arrest attempt after hours of standoff
An earlier attempt to detain Yoon was called off on January 3 after a six-hour standoff between military guards and the president’s security staff.
“As I have repeatedly emphasized the need to prevent physical conflict between government agencies,” acting President Choi Sang-mok said in a statement on Wednesday. “I will keep a firm line on those who are guilty if unfortunate events occur.”
Authorities are making a second attempt to detain suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol after last month’s declaration of martial law. (South Korea Presidential Office via AP, file)
Executing an arrest warrant for Yoon has proven difficult for investigators as the president’s legal adviser insists it is impossible under a law banning non-consensual searches of locations potentially linked to military secrets.
Yoon’s lawyers have also labeled such an order as an illegal means of publicly humiliating him.
Arrest warrant issued for deposed South Korean president as political crisis deepens
The arrest warrant is the first ever issued against a sitting South Korean president. Yoon’s arrest warrant follows his declaration of martial law on December 3, in apparent frustration over the opposition-dominated parliament’s refusal to adopt key items on his political agenda.
The move was decried both in South Korea and abroad, where analysts expressed shock at the sudden and unprecedented move in what is typically one of Asia’s most stable democracies.
Police officers approach the residence of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, along with investigators from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials. (REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji)
Parliament unanimously rejected Yoon’s statement and subsequently suspended him on December 14 by a vote of 204 to 85, which also included members of his own party.
Yoon will be formally impeached if the Constitutional Court accepts the motion by a three-quarters majority.
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The next court hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Reuters contributed to this report.
