Thousands of rival South Korean protesters rallied in the capital yesterday, a day after a failed attempt to arrest suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol for imposing a short-lived martial law decree that led to his impeachment.
The country has been plunged into political chaos since last month, with Yoon defiantly holed up in the presidential residence, surrounded by hundreds of loyal security officers who have so far resisted efforts by prosecutors to arrest him.
Thousands of protesters, both for and against Yoon, gathered in front of the residence and along major roads in Seoul yesterday — either demanding his arrest or calling for his impeachment to be declared invalid.
Photo: AFP
Supporter Kim Chul-hong, 60, said Yoon’s arrest could undermine South Korea’s security alliance with the US and Japan.
“Protecting President Yoon means safeguarding our country’s security against threats from North Korea,” he said.
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, South Korea’s largest umbrella union, attempted to march to Yoon’s residence to protest against him, but were blocked by police. It said two of its members were arrested, and several others were injured in clashes.
Yoon faces criminal charges of insurrection, one of a few crimes not subject to presidential immunity, meaning he could be sentenced to prison or, at worst, the death penalty.
If the warrant is executed, Yoon would become the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.
Investigators have asked South Korean Minister of Finance Choi Sang-mok, who was installed as acting president a week ago, to back the warrant by ordering the presidential security service to cooperate.
In scenes of high drama on Friday, Yoon’s guards and military troops shielded him from investigators who eventually called off the arrest attempt, citing safety concerns.
The showdown — which reportedly included shoving, but no shots fired — left the warrant in limbo, with the court order set to expire tomorrow.
The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials could make another bid to arrest him before then.
However, if the warrant lapses, they may apply for another.
The South Korean Constitutional Court slated Jan. 14 for the start of Yoon’s impeachment trial, which if he does not attend would continue in his absence.
Former South Korean presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye never appeared for their impeachment trials.
Yoon’s lawyers decried Friday’s arrest attempt as “unlawful and invalid,” and vowed to take legal action.
Experts said investigators could wait for greater legal justification before attempting to arrest the suspended president again.
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