SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean investigative authorities have refused to detain impeached President Yun Seok-Yeol and left her official residence after a nearly six-hour standoff. This is the latest standoff in a political crisis that has paralyzed South Korean politics and resulted in the impeachment of two heads of state in less than a month.
The country’s anti-corruption agency said it withdrew its agents after the Presidential Security Bureau blocked access to Yun’s residence for hours over concerns for their safety. The agency expressed “serious regret over the suspect’s failure to comply with legal procedures.”
Yun, a former prosecutor, opposed the claims of the investigating authorities. try to ask a question to him for weeks. The last known time he left his official residence was on December 12, when he traveled to the nearby presidential palace to address the nation on television and make defiant statements about fighting efforts to oust him. That was when I did it.
Investigators at the country’s anti-corruption bureau, clearly frustrated that his policies were blocked by the opposition-dominated parliament, are considering charges of treason. declare martial law On December 3, he sent troops to surround the Diet.
Within hours, the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the declaration and impeached Yoon for treason on December 14, but South Korea’s anti-corruption authorities and prosecutors launched separate investigations into the incident.
A court in Seoul issued a detention warrant for Yun on Tuesday, but its execution will be complicated as long as he remains in his official residence.
Lawyers for Mr. Yun, who challenged the warrant on Thursday, said the warrant could not be used at his residence because of a law that prohibits searches of places that could be related to military secrets without the consent of those in charge. It is argued that it cannot be enforced.
The agency said it would discuss further measures, but did not immediately say whether it would try to detain Yun again. His detention warrant is valid for one week.
Yun’s lawyers also argued that the Office of High-Level Corruption Investigation, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military investigators, does not have the authority to investigate the rebellion charges. They said the officers had no legal authority to assist in detaining Mr. Yoon and that he could be arrested either by “the Presidential Security Bureau or the public.” They did not elaborate further on their claims.
If the investigative authorities succeed in detaining Yoon, they are likely to ask the court for formal permission to arrest him. Otherwise, he will be released after 48 hours.
Kwon Young-se, chairman of the emergency leadership committee of Yoon’s conservative People’s Power Party, said the agency’s efforts to detain Yoon were “very unfair and extremely inappropriate.” He said there was no risk of him fleeing or attempting to destroy evidence.
Thousands of police officers gathered at Yun’s mansion on Friday, surrounding a growing group of pro-Yun demonstrators, braving subzero temperatures for hours, waving South Korean and American flags as he stood outside. They chanted slogans pledging to protect. There were no immediate reports of major clashes outside the official residence.
Dozens of investigators and police officers were seen entering the gates of Mr. Yoon’s mansion in Seoul to execute a detention warrant, but the dramatic scene quickly devolved into a standoff. Two of Yoon’s lawyers, Yoon Gak-geun and Kim Hong-il, were seen entering the gates of the presidential palace around noon. It was not immediately clear what the lawyers discussed with the president.
Seok Dong-hyun, another lawyer on Yoon’s legal team, said the agency’s efforts to detain Yoon were “reckless” and showed “ignorance of the law.”
South Korea’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that investigators and police arrived at the building by bypassing military units guarding the mansion’s grounds. The Presidential Security Service, which manages the official residence itself, declined to comment. South Korea’s YTN TV reported that a scuffle broke out as investigators and police confronted presidential security forces.
As the conflict progressed, the liberal opposition Democratic Party called on Vice Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, who is acting as president, to order the suspension of the Presidential Security Office’s activities. Choi did not immediately comment on the situation.
Democratic Party lawmaker Cho Seung-rae said, “Honest employees of the Presidential Security Department and other public servants should not be dragged into the depths of crime.” “We must remember that it is our responsibility to respond swiftly to the insurgency and prevent further chaos,” Choi said.
Yun’s defense minister, police chief, and several top military officials have already been arrested for their roles during martial law.
Since the National Assembly voted to impeach Yun on December 14, his presidential powers have been suspended. Yun’s fate now rests with the Constitutional Court, which has upheld the impeachment and has begun deliberations on whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him. At least six judges of the nine-member Constitutional Court would need to vote in favor of his removal.
Parliament voted last week to: impeach Prime Minister Han Deok-sooHe became acting president after Yun’s powers were suspended because he declined three terms. Vacancies in the Constitutional Court ahead of the court’s review of Mr. Yoon’s case.
Facing mounting pressure, new acting President Choe appointed two new judges on Tuesday, which could increase the chances that the court will uphold Yoon’s impeachment.
