South Korea’s presidential compound as a fortified barricade for the investigation of a “disordered” martial law
Young South Koreans born after the country’s military dictatorships have actively participated in recent protests demanding Yoon’s ouster. Many South Koreans take for granted their country’s stable democracy prior to the martial law declaration.
A series of black SUVs, some equipped with sirens, were seen leaving the presidential compound amid police escorts. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials is located in the city of Gwacheon.
Yoon’s lawyers tried to persuade investigators not to execute the detention warrant, saying the president would voluntarily appear for questioning, but the agency declined.
There were no reports of gunfights or resistance from the presidential security forces as the officers approached the residence.
More than a thousand anti-corruption investigators and police officers could be deployed in the operation to apprehend Yoon, who has been holed up in the Hannam-dong residence in the capital, Seoul, for weeks while vowing to “fight to the end” against the efforts to oust him.
Yoon has justified his declaration of martial law Dec. 3 as a legitimate act of governance against an “anti-state” opposition employing its legislative majority to thwart his agenda.
The presidential residence had been used as a barricade by police and investigators after they dispersed dozens of ruling partyLawmakers blocking the gate.
Despite a court warrant for Yoon’s detention, the presidential security service has insisted it’s obligated to protect the impeached president and has fortified the compound with barbed wire and rows of buses blocking paths.
If investigators manage to detain Yoon Suk Yeol, they will likely ask a court for permission to make a formal arrest. Otherwise, he will be released after 48 hours.
As tensions escalated, South Korea’s acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, issued a statement early Wednesday urging law enforcement and the presidential security service to ensure there are no “physical clashes.”
The presidential security service needs to be stopped and cooperated with because of the impeachment drive, according to a statement by the Democratic Party. Lawmakers from the People Power Party held a rally outside of the presidential residence to protest against the efforts to detain him.
In recent days, the National Police Agency has convened many meetings of field commanders in South Korea to plan detainment efforts and the size of those forces made people wonder if more than a thousand officers could be dispatched in a multiday operation. The agency and police warned that protecting the president could land them in jail.
Yoon’s supporters and critics have held competing protests near the residence — one side vowing to protect him, the other calling for his imprisonment — while thousands of police officers in yellow jackets closely monitored the tense situation.
The Constitutional Court held its first formal hearing in the case on Tuesday, but the session lasted less than five minutes because Yoon refused to attend. The next hearing is set for Thursday, and the court will then proceed with the trial whether or not Yoon is there.
South Korea president Yoon detained after standoff over martial law decree: A frustrated protestor’s frustration with the investigation and the CIO
“Most people live with constant anxiety, checking every morning if Yoon Suk Yeol has been arrested overnight or if any other situation has happened,” says Min So Won, 24, who protested outside the presidential residence on Wednesday.
A recent Gallup poll shows that 75% of South Koreans are in favor of Yoon’s impeachment. The National Assembly passed the motion for impeachment and the Constitutional Court started hearings this week to formally remove him from office.
“The president is the pillar that supports our country and the vanguard of liberal democracy,” Jeong says, calling the leader of the liberal opposition a “communist.”
Speaking to reporters outside the residence, lawmaker Kim Gi-hyeon of the ruling People Power Party also argued the country’s liberal democracy and rule of law is at stake, repeating Yoon’s claims about the illegality of the investigation.
The CIO can hold the president for interrogation for 48 hours. An arrest warrant is likely to be issued and the office and the prosecution will be able to question him for up to 20 days.
“I haven’t lived long, but I’m very happy,” says a college student from the southeastern city of Busan. Choi says she arrived in the area the day before and spent the night on the street.
With his detention, investigators turned the page on weeks of anxiety about potential clashes between the presidential security detail and the police following the issuance of Yoon’s warrant.
The political chaos triggered by the martial law declaration is expected to continue as Yoon and his supporters remain defiant against the insurrection charges.
Source: South Korean President Yoon detained after standoff over martial law decree
Yoon’s Pre-dawn Manifestation: The CIO, the riot police and the military on a joint investigation has come to an end
In a video message released after his detention, the president called the investigation and the warrant “illegal” and said he agreed to go with the law enforcement only to prevent violent confrontation.
The CIO, which is leading a joint investigation on Yoon with the police and the military, beefed up its preparations ahead of the second attempt, mobilizing 3,000 riot police, 1,000 detectives and anti-corruption investigators in their pre-dawn operation. The security detail was warned that they too could be arrested for obstructing public duties and lose their jobs and pensions.
The presidential convoy left the compound after two hours of negotiations between Yoon’s representatives and law enforcement.