SEOUL: South Korean authorities arrived at the residence of impeached President Yoon Seok-yul on Friday to arrest him, as protesters gathered outside his residence, clashed with police and vowed to stop his arrest.
Yoon is under criminal investigation for sedition over his short-lived martial law attempt on December 3. The arrest would be unprecedented for a sitting South Korean president.
According to Reuters witnesses, officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), who are leading a joint team of investigators that includes police and prosecutors, arrived at the gates of Yun’s compound in the morning. Arrived after 7pm (2200 GMT Thursday).
Yonhap news agency reported that about 3,000 police had been mobilized in preparation.
It was unclear whether the Presidential Security Service, which has blocked investigators’ access to Yun’s office and official residence with search warrants, would try to prevent the arrest.
Media reports said that the CIO’s vehicles did not enter the compound immediately.
Demonstrators gathered near his residence in the pre-dawn hours, growing into the hundreds amid media reports that investigating authorities would soon seek to execute an arrest warrant for Yoon’s refusal to appear. The latter was approved on Tuesday.
“We have to stop them with our lives,” one was heard telling the others. About a dozen protesters tried to block a group of police officers at the entrance to the pedestrian overpass.
Some chanted “President Yoon Seok-yul will be protected by the people” and called for the arrest of the CIO chief.
Pyong In-soo, 74, said the police had to be stopped by “patriotic citizens”, a term used for guards stationed near Yoon-in’s residence.
Holding a US and South Korean flag with the words “Let’s walk together” in English and Korean, Pyong said he hoped incoming US President Donald Trump would help Yun.
“I hope that after Trump’s inauguration, he can use his influence to help put our country on the right track,” he said.
Yun shocked the country with a late-night announcement on December 3 that he was imposing martial law to end the political deadlock and root out “anti-state forces”.
However, within hours, 190 lawmakers defied the military and police siege to vote against Yun’s order. About six hours after his initial order, Yoon rescinded it.
He later defended his decision, saying domestic political opponents were North Korean sympathizers and citing unsubstantiated claims of election tampering.
Treason is one of the few criminal charges from which the South Korean president is not immune.
Yoon’s lawyers have argued that the arrest warrant was illegal and invalid because the CIO did not have the authority to request a warrant under South Korean law.
Yun has been in isolation since his impeachment and suspension from power on December 14.
Separate from the criminal investigation, his impeachment case is currently before the Constitutional Court to determine whether he should be reinstated or permanently removed. A second hearing in the case is scheduled for later on Friday.