Riot police swarm home of impeached South Korean president after he imposed martial law as he vows to ‘fight to end’
RIOT cops have swarmed the home of South Korea’s impeached president as they seek to arrest him.
Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law last month and was soon after sacked by the country’s parliament while a criminal investigation was launched.
Police and anti-corruption investigators have now entered his Seoul residence as they execute an arrest warrant, Yonhap reports.
They have reportedly encountered a military unit which appears to be protecting the president and are now engaged in a standoff.
Some 3,000 officers have been mobilised for the operation with Yoon under criminal investigation for insurrection.
The arrest of a sitting president would be unprecedented in Korean politics.
Yoon has slammed the warrant as “illegal” and says they will take legal action in response.
Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) had arrived gates of Yoon’s compound shortly after 7am.
Counter-protesters are now facing off with the cops outside the residence as they seek to protect Yoon.
Some chanted “President Yoon Suk Yeol will be protected by the people,” and called for the head of the investigators to be arrested.
South Korea’s parliament has been carrying out an investigation into the power grab since it happened on December 3.
Yoon is alleged to have told a defence commander to “break down the doors [of the parliament], even if it means shooting.”
The president declared martial law in a late-night TV address that seemed to come out of nowhere.
But the martial law decree was only in place for six hours as Yoon buckled to public pressure and mass protests that quickly formed.
Elite special forces soldiers armed with high powered rifles had already stormed the parliament and were given permission to shoot.
Seoul residents turned up to the parliament and protested – forming a human shield against the heavily armed troops.
Brave MPs and staffers battled the soldiers with fires extinguishers and built barricades from office furniture.
Within hours, 190 lawmakers had defied the cordons of troops and police to vote against Yoon’s order.
He told South Koreans he needed to free the country from North Korean forces trying to “paralyse the essential functions of the state”.
Analysts described Yoon’s decision as a “last ditch attempt” by a “lame duck president” to push his agenda through.
He was then impeached on December 14 in an overwhelming vote that also saw members of his own party vote for it.
Despite being impeached, Yoon declared he would “not give up” and called for officials to maintain government stability.
The decision to issue and execute an arrest warrant lies with the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Insurrection is one of the few criminal charges from which a South Korean president does not have immunity.
The impeachment suspends Yoon from office for 180 days while the Constitutional Court decides whether to restore the controversial leader or cement the parliament’s decision.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was been appointed as the country’s acting president on December 14 – but he was then impeached on December 27.
SCANDAL AND CONTROVERSY
Yoon’s brief two years in power have been marred with personal and political scandals.
He narrowly won the 2022 election but his approval ratings slowly bombed during his term in power.
His wife Kim Keon Hee became embroiled in a scandal after she was accused of influence peddling.
The couple were alleged to have improperly influenced the People Power Party’s candidate selection for the 2022 parliamentary by-election, which Yoon denied.
They were also accused of being under the influence of an unknown unelected power broker who – through Yoon – was exercising power on party affairs.
Despite the president’s strong denial, his approval rating plummeted to below 20%.
Their problems did not stop there as a handbag scandal engulfed the president’s wife.
Kim Keon Hee sparked outrage after she was caught allegedly accepting a 3m won (£1,800) luxury Dior handbag from a supporter.
The president also provoked anger when he refused to fire top officials after a 2022 Halloween night disaster, in which 159 people were killed, he was accused of protecting his “yes men”.
Yoon, the former prosecutor famous for investigating corruption cases, had become embroiled in his own scandals.
Despite stating his martial law decree was to root out supposed North Korean influence, many believed this move was made to protect himself.