Power struggle enters the next round Military prevents arrest of the president in South Korea
The state crisis in South Korea continues. An army unit and taua supporters have prevented the arrest of suspended South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
03.01.2025, 07:16
03.01.2025, 09:04
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- South Korea's law enforcement officials fail in their attempt to arrest President Yoon Suk Yeol despite a court arrest order as security forces block access.
- Yoon is being investigated for declaring martial law as president and has since defied several subpoenas.
- Yoon's defense called the arrest order illegal and is seeking legal action against it, further complicating the investigation.
South Korea's law enforcement has failed in its attempt to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol. Initially, a military unit prevented the investigators from entering the grounds of the presidential office, as the Yonhap news agency reported, citing the Corruption Investigation Bureau. Later, the presidential security service also prevented the officers from entering, citing "restrictions in secure areas".
The agency regrets Yoon's behavior and now wants to consider further steps, Yonhap reported. The arrest order, which was approved by a court, is valid until Monday.
Protests outside the official residence
Even before the action, it was suspected that the security service could thwart the prosecutors' plan. Thousands of Yoon's supporters had been protesting in front of the president's official residence since New Year's Day, blocking access for the investigators.
The authorities want to question Yoon about the short-term imposition of martial law a month ago, with which he plunged the country into a national crisis. So far, he has ignored three subpoenas from prosecutors.
Defense announces measures
Meanwhile, according to Yonhap, one of Yoon's lawyers announced that he would take legal action against the "invalid" and "illegal" arrest order. The defense has already tried to obtain an injunction from the Constitutional Court against the arrest order for abuse of power and sedition, which a court had previously approved.
According to Yonhap, a deployment of the investigators at the weekend could be fraught with uncertainty, as more people might stand in their way. On the other hand, there might not be enough time if they were to deploy on Monday due to the approaching deadline, it said.
