South Korean protesters demand Yoon’s ouster as impeached president resists arrest

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Hundreds of South Koreans, sheltered from freezing temperatures and snow, demonstrated overnight Sunday near the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, calling for his ouster and arrest, as authorities prepared to renew their efforts to stop him by his brief martial law decree.

Dozens of investigators from anti-graft agencies and police attempted to execute an arrest warrant against Yoon on Friday, but withdrew from his residence in Seoul after a tense standoff with the presidential security service that lasted more than five hours.

A deadline is approaching

The Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials is weighing charges of rebellion after the conservative president, apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by a legislature dominated by the liberal opposition, declared martial law on December 3 and sent in troops to surround the National Assembly. .

The Assembly overturned the declaration within hours in a unanimous vote and removed Yoon on December 14, accusing him of rebellion, while South Korean anti-corruption authorities and prosecutors opened separate investigations into the events.

Last Tuesday, a Seoul court issued an order to detain Yoon and another order to search his residence after the embattled president defied authorities by refusing to appear for questioning. But enforcing them is difficult as long as Yoon remains in his official residence.

The one-week detention order is valid until Monday. Over the weekend, presidential security service personnel were seen installing barbed wire near the gate and hills leading to Yoon’s residence, possibly in preparation for another arrest attempt.

If the anti-graft agency manages to detain Yoon, it will likely ask a court for permission to make a formal arrest. Otherwise, Yoon will be released after 48 hours.

While hundreds of anti-Yoon protesters demonstrated for hours near the gate of the presidential residence, pro-Yoon protesters gathered on nearby streets, vowing to protect him. Both groups were separated by police barricades and buses.

“With just one day left until the deadline for executing Yoon Seok Yeol’s arrest warrant, the presidential security service continues to hide a criminal and the Corruption Investigation Bureau for Senior Officials could not be more relaxed” said Kim Eun-jeong, an activist. he said on stage during the anti-Yoon demonstration.

Park Chan-dae, parliamentary leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, called on the anti-graft agency to act quickly to detain Yoon, accusing the agency of “dithering and letting time pass.”

Presidential Security Service Blocks Yoon’s Detention

The Corruption Investigation Bureau for Senior Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military investigators, has urged the country’s acting leader, Vice Premier Choi Sang-mok, to order the presidential security service to comply with the execution of the arrest warrant. Choi has yet to comment publicly on the issue.

Park Jong-joon, head of the presidential security service, responded to criticism that his organization has become Yoon’s private army, saying it has legal obligations to protect the sitting president. Park said he ordered his members not to use violence during Friday’s clash and asked the anti-graft agency and police to change their approach.

Park and his deputy defied Saturday’s subpoenas from police, who planned to question them on suspicion of obstruction of official duty following Friday’s events.

While the presidential security law requires protection for Yoon, it does not authorize the service to block court-ordered detentions, which may amount to obstruction of official duty, said Park Sung-bae, a criminal law lawyer. While the president largely has immunity from prosecution while in office, the protection does not extend to accusations of rebellion or treason.

The agency said its outnumbered investigators had several confrontations with presidential security forces that threatened their safety.

After bypassing a military unit guarding the grounds of the residence, agency investigators and police were able to get within 200 meters (about 218 yards) of Yoon’s residential building, but were stopped by a barricade made up of 10 vehicles and about 200 members of the presidential security. forces and troops.

Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho conveyed his concerns to the presidential security service, saying that using military personnel to block the execution of the arrest warrant would be “inappropriate” and that troops should not be placed in a position where They could confront the police.

Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested for their role in enforcing martial law.

Yoon defends himself

Yoon’s legal team said it will file complaints against the anti-graft agency’s chief prosecutor, Oh Dong-woon, and about 150 investigators and police officers involved in Friday’s attempted arrest, which they say was illegal. The team said it will also file complaints with prosecutors against the country’s acting defense minister and police chief for ignoring the presidential security service’s request to provide additional forces to block the arrest attempt.

Yoon’s lawyers have asserted that stop-and-search warrants against Yoon cannot be executed at his residence, citing a law that protects locations potentially linked to military secrets from searches without the consent of the person in charge. They also argue that the anti-corruption bureau lacks legal authority to investigate rebellion charges and that police officers do not have the legal authority to help detain Yoon.

Yoon’s fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to formally remove Yoon from office or reinstate him.